Hall: D-Back continues to appear on target attack, Bullpen’s help

With the shutdown officially halting, teams are once again allowed to continue with major league transactions. There is still a lot of potential for agents and free trade for clubs, and we can expect to see a flurry of activity in the coming days.

Diamondbacks head/CEO Derrick Hall met with reporters (including Steve Gilbert From MLB.com) this afternoon to discuss the club’s post-lockdown outlook. He cited the addition of another racket and more promotions to the Bullpen as special priority areas for general manager Mike Hazen and the rest of the front office.

That is in line with pre-lockdown expectations, where the front office indicated its desire in November for assistance at Third Base and in Relief Corps. Arizona still has to address the center player group in a meaningful way, so adding a third base will probably still be a goal. Kyle Seeger He has since retired, with one notable free proxy option left out. It’s unlikely that D-Backs will sign a star like Chris Bryantleaving players like Jonathan Villar And the Josh Harrison As the most realistic options for snakes if they look at the open market for upgrades.

The Diamondbacks have made one big addition to the pre-close to the Bullpen. They added a veteran closer Mark Melancon On a two-year deal, fortify the ninth inning. However, there is still plenty of room for upgrades in the middle to late rounds. The only returning Arizona option that had above-average strike and walk numbers last season (minimum 20 pitching runs) is the swing swing. Caleb Smith. Melancon, Smith, Noe Ramirez And the Joe Manteble They are the only pitchers with an age of less than 3.50 that return to the desert. Adding one or two other arms to bridge the gap between spin and melancon at the end of games makes sense.

The free agency offers plenty of relief options Quality 2021 seasons. It seems likely that the D-Backs will add at least one veteran arm in a big league deal, and Hall noted that the club has little flexibility on the payroll with which to work. “I see that we are aggressive and being Energetic,” He said. “And if you ask if we’ll get [the payroll] North of $90 million – 100, 105 – I can easily see that.“

Currently, D-Backs has approximately $88 million in commitments for the 2022 campaign, including expected salaries for players eligible to referee (via Jason Martinez of Menu resource). Hall’s comments suggest there are at least a few million dollars left in the coffers of Hazen and the company, and it doesn’t seem likely that Snakes could add an additional $10 million or $15 million to this year’s books if the right opportunity presents itself.

Some may be surprised to hear that the D-Backs are planning to add in the wake of NL-Worst Show 52-110. However, brass in Arizona opposed the idea of ​​a complete rebuild. D-Backs didn’t move the main controllable players like Kettle Mart or Zach Galen Either on the deadline last summer or earlier in the off-season. Their first big step off the season was signing the closest warriors. They will face an uphill battle in NL West which appears to be one of the most challenging divisions in the league, but the D-Backs don’t seem interested in boating in 2022.