A D'Backs official tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the team's payroll now sits at about $75MM. Piecoro gets the sense that the D'Backs have the flexibility to spend a little more, but not much. That means Jose Valverde could return to the D'Backs if his asking price drops (let's not rule that out; the market for Valverde isn't great right now).
Not surprisingly, the D'Backs aren't likely to deal Chris Snyder or Eric Byrnes any time soon. Interestingly, the D'Backs approached Byrnes about a deal that would have seen the team grant Byrnes his release if he agreed to defer some of the $11MM he's owed. This would have freed up 2010 salary for the D'Backs and given Byrnes the chance to look for a new opportunity. The outfielder was apparently not receptive to the possible arrangement, so he's on the D'Backs for now.
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