Pitching help? Another 1st baseman? D-backs expect to make more moves

On the cusp of Spring Training, the Diamondbacks still have some work to do on their roster, a sentiment expressed by general manager Mike Hazen and reinforced Friday morning by team president/CEO Derrick Hall.

This offseason, the Diamondbacks have added a pair of right-handers to their rotation in Michael Soroka (one-year, $7.5 million deal) and Merrill Kelly (two-year, $40 million deal) while trading for veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado.

While they've made some additions to the bullpen like free agent Taylor Clarke and Jonathan Loáisiga, they haven't done as much as maybe some might expect.

Hazen said this past week that he expected more additions to the bullpen before camp opens on Feb. 10 and Hall indicated that might not be all that gets done.

"I think we still have a few moves to make," Hall said at the team's annual charity golf tournament. "I'm happy with what we've done so far. Bringing Merrill back was a strong move, and he wanted to be here as well, so that's a perfect fit for both of us. And then the trade for Arenado, I think, made a lot of sense for us. I know we're still trying to find another complementary first baseman, and I think we can still look to improve our pitching, both starting and relievers, but we still have some moves to make. We're not done."

With a lot of the primary relief arms already gone from the free-agent market, the Diamondbacks could be looking to make a trade to get someone to help the backend of the bullpen until co-closers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez return from elbow surgeries. Puk could be back before the All-Star break while Martinez could return shortly thereafter.

Hazen said at the outset of the offseason that he was open to trading from the top of the team's prospect pool if the right deal presented itself.

The Diamondbacks had a club-record Opening Day payroll last year of around $195 million, and Hall said the team lost money last season after injuries to key contributors like ace Corbin Burnes, Puk and Martinez helped prevent the team from returning to the postseason.

Arizona ownership, led by managing general partner Ken Kendrick, has shown a willingness to spend money and exceed a budget when it feels there is an opportunity to make the playoffs.

"It was a big number," Hall said of how much money the team lost last year.

The need to reduce the Opening Day payroll this year could make it tough to make a big move, such as bringing back free agent right-hander Zac Gallen, who turned down a $22.025 million qualifying offer, but again given the surprise decision to sign Jordan Montgomery two years ago or the one to sign Burnes before last season, you cannot overlook Kendrick's desire to win especially when the Diamondbacks made it all the way to the World Series in 2023.

"We still have some room [in the budget]," Hall said. "But for a big splash, we're probably going to have to get creative, or look to move money if we're going to do something really big. Ken's always been great in saying, ‘Let's push the envelope’, and that's what we do. I mean we don't go into a season looking to make money, we're either going to break even or lose money, but it's all in an attempt to bring a very competitive team to the field."