"The Diamondbacks' pitching staff was battered by injuries, leading to a deadline sell-off of most of their impending free agents. Arizona played surprisingly well in the second half to remain in the Wild Card picture. They came up a little short of a postseason berth, and they're now faced with the task of rebuilding the pitching while navigating an expected payroll cut."
"A few hints about the Diamondbacks' winter have already emerged courtesy of owner Ken Kendrick. The team's solid performance after the trade deadline ensured that skipper Torey Lovullo and his coaching staff would be back with as little as one change. The expectation will still be to contend, but the front office will have less payroll room with which to work."
"Kendrick said that the club plans to reduce spending after pushing the payroll to a franchise-record $187MM Opening Day mark this year (via Cot's Baseball Contracts). Arizona will have around $100MM in guaranteed commitments once Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who is recovering from ACL surgery, inevitably passes on the chance to opt out of the remaining $18MM on his contract. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects the arbitration class to come in around $26MM if everyone were tendered a contract."
Arizona's pitching staff suffered extensive injuries, prompting a trade-deadline sell-off of many impending free agents. The club played well in the second half and nearly reached the playoffs but fell short, creating an offseason focus on rebuilding pitching depth amid a planned payroll reduction. Guaranteed commitments include roughly $101.1 million for 2026 and $543.1 million through 2031, plus a $100,000 buyout to Kendall Graveman. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to remain under contract while recovering from ACL surgery. Projected arbitration costs approach $26 million; several arbitration-eligible players are likely non-tenders, leaving multiple borderline decisions.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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