The Arizona Diamondbacks got more than expected out of Gabriel Moreno in the 2026 season. With a career-best 130-game workload, Moreno emerged as the offensive star some have projected him to become.
But now, Moreno's contract situation looks even less favorable for Arizona.
It's no secret that a Moreno extension should be on Arizona's to-do list . Considering health and some other factors, the situation was already somewhat bleak.
But Moreno's latest accomplishment is only going to make those negotiations, when or if they do occur, more difficult.
Sep 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Blake Walston (48) celebrates with catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) after the win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
On Sunday night, Gold Glove award winners were announced . The Diamondbacks ended up with a franchise-record-tying three winners. Moreno was one of them; it was his second Gold Glove in his young major league career.
Moreno certainly had numbers that supported such an honor. He was worth +7 Fielding Run Value and +14 Defensive Runs Saved, caught 14 of 56 base-stealers and graded out well above average in moost catcher-specific metrics, including blcking, framing and pop time.
A good defensive catcher is a massively valuable player. Couple those elite defensive numbers and two Gold Gloves with one of the best bats in the National League, and that player begins to creep toward generational superstar status.
Moreno hit .311/.388/.486 with 16 homers and 83 RBI. That was good for a .874 OPS and 143 OPS+, or 43% above average. His .311 average was good enough to win the NL batting title - the first in Diamondbacks franchise history.
Moreno was worth just over 6.0 average (between bWAR and fWAR wins in 2026, which led the D-backs.
With the two separate awards, Moreno now joins elite company. Only one other catcher in MLB history has won both a batting title and a Gold Glove in the same season. That would be notable Hall of Fame backstop Joe Mauer, who did so in the 2008 and 2009 major league seasons.
Is Moreno a future Hall of Famer like Mauer? Not yet, of course. But it certainly seems as if Arizona's catcher is on a trajectory that - health permitting - could see him enshrined if this output continues.
The point is, extending a player who shares Mauer's company with elite multi-tool production will not be easy. Adding a second Gold Glove award to his shelf of accolades makes it that much more difficult.
The 26-year-old is under team control through 2028 - though likely with ever-heigtening arbitration costs in those years - but Moreno may ultimately opt to bet on himself and test the free agent market.
It would be hard to blame him if the D-backs aren't able to match his number.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as Gabriel Moreno Just Made it Even Harder for D-backs to Extend Him .
