PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks continue to have internal discussions regarding catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who became a free agent Tuesday.
"I have to do my due diligence," D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said. "We have talked about it, as we had before. Right now we are trying to gather some information and find out all we can about him from our scouts."
Saltalamacchia, 29, was designated for assignment by Miami on April 25 and is now a free agent after the Marlins were unable to trade him before he cleared waivers. He had 66 home runs and 224 RBI from 2011-14 with Boston and the Marlins, but was 2-for-29 with one homer and one RBI before losing his job with Miami this season. The Red Sox recently lost starter Ryan Hanigan to a broken wrist and promoted prospect Blake Swihart, and they also could be interested in Saltalamacchia.
"He is a guy who going to put the ball in play," Stewart said. "We know he is not going to be a .190 hitter, just like we know if Aaron Hill plays, he is going to hit .260. I'll talk to our guys who've seen him hit. For me, it is what is he doing catching (defensively)."
The D-backs could use the kind of production Saltalamacchia once provided in the lower end of their order.
D-backs catchers are slashing .202/.260/.236, among the lowest five in the majors, with one home run and nine RBI. Backup Jordan Pacheco, who hit a three-run home run Wednesday, is hitting .280 with has five RBI in five starts. Tuffy Gosewisch is hitting .176 with four RBI in 18 starts. Gerald Laird made one start before undergoing back surgery that landed him on the 60-day disabled list.
"The bottom part of our lineup, the seven-eight spots, they have to contribute," Stewart said. "I don't want to point a finger at Tuffy. Those spots are going to have to be able to hit for us."
The D-backs are also getting limited production from the shortstop position, where primary starter Nick Ahmed is hitting .143 with no homers and one RBI. D-backs shortstops are hitting .161 with two RBI, both major league lows for the position.
"He is a tremendous defensive player," Stewart said of Ahmed. "I know for a fact he's working hard. Our coaches are working with him to try to make whatever adjustments we can. We're going to go with him until we can't."
Saltalamacchia cleared waivers because a team that claimed him would take on the rest of his $7 million salary this season and the $8 million due in 2016. Now the Marlins must pay that, and his new team is out only the prorated portion of the $507,000 major league minimum salary this season.
Third baseman Jake Lamb is out of the walking boot he has worn since suffering a stress reaction in his left foot that landed him on the disabled list retroactive to April 19. He will begin rehab work but is still two to three weeks away, Stewart said.
In Lamb's place, Yasmany Tomas is hitting .278 with two doubles and four RBI while making seven straight starts and eight of the last nine at third base, but that will change when Lamb returns.
"Shoot, he's our starting third baseman," Stewart said of Lamb, who is hitting .414 with three doubles, a home run and nine RBI. "Jake earned the right out of spring training. The way I always thought about it is, you don't lose your spot because of an injury. We still have to go through rehab. Then when he is ready to play, he'll play."
How Tomas figures into that scenario has not been determined.
"We're still two, three weeks away. When a lot of guys are playing and hitting, that's a good situation to have," Stewart said.
Patrick Corbin pitched three innings in a simulated game Wednesday, and his fastball was in the low 90s, Stewart said. "I heard his breaking ball was on time," Stewart said.
"That will be a big shot in the arm" when Corbin returns, in early to mid-June. "That will add to a good rotation." The D-backs' starting rotation has a 3.80 ERA, 11th in the majors. It has a 2.98 ERA in the last 16 games, second-lowest to Pittsburgh (2.24) in the majors since April 15.
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