Arizona's ownership stretched the bounds of the payroll budget last season by signing Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract. That pushed the Opening Day payroll to a club-record amount of around $195 million.
This year, all indications are that the payroll will not be as high. It is worth noting that ownership -- as it did last year -- has not been shy in the past about making exceptions when warranted.
So if the D-backs' commitments for 2026 already put them in the roughly $145 million range, GM Mike Hazen will have some room to add. But the price of good starting pitching on the free-agent market figures to be high, and adding two quality starters and a couple of back-end bullpen pieces simply through free agency seems unlikely.
That means the Diamondbacks will need to explore the trade market.
Couldn't they trade from their prospect group?
They could trade from what is considered in the industry to be a very good group of top-end prospects. And, in fact, Hazen has said he is open to doing just that.
“I might,” Hazen said. “I don’t want to do that, but I think at some point if I’m going to get somebody of value, I’m going to have to give up [value]. It just is what it is. I don’t know what the market is going to look like trade-wise."
That's what Hazen said before departing for the GM Meetings. So yes, the Diamondbacks would be open to dealing shortstop Jordan Lawlar or outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (their No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline). But prospects are not as much of a hot commodity as they have been in recent years.
