As per RosterResource’s estimates, the Diamondbacks spent around $191.3MM on payroll in 2025, which translated to a $214.8MM luxury tax number. The Snakes are currently projected for a $195.2MM payroll and a $223.7MM tax figure, as team managing general partner Ken Kendrick’s statement from last September that his club “will not be spending at the same level” has ended up being incorrect.
Kendrick addressed this topic when speaking with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro and other reporters at the Diamondbacks’ spring camp, saying simply that “well, sometimes you surprise yourself in life in what you do.” The D’Backs are set for their third consecutive payroll increase since the team won the NL pennant in 2023, and while they haven’t since returned to the postseason, Kendrick remains intent on keeping the team in position to contend.
“I want us to be successful. I want our fans to feel that we are committed to investing every dollar possible and putting the best team we can put together on the field….I don’t want to overplay it, but, to a degree, we’re in a partnership with the fans,” Kendrick said. “That’s the way I see what we do. We’re in a partnership with our fans. They generate revenue by buying tickets and coming to ball games and supporting us. And as a good partner, we need to take the money they spend and invest it wisely, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The spending may not be over, since Kendrick said “we have some room beyond where we are, but we don’t have a ton of room….Do we have the possibility of adding from the present moment? Yeah, possibly. Not highly likely of significance, but we have some room to add without getting into a tax problem.”
The D’backs are still well shy of the $244MM luxury tax threshold, though their current $223.7MM figure is as close as the organization has ever been to exceeding the tax line. While Kendrick has obviously okayed larger expenditures already, it is probably safe to assume that $244MM is Arizona’s budget ceiling, though the team has some room to maneuver in terms of trade deadline upgrades.
Expanding the payroll has reportedly put the D’Backs into the red, as Piecoro hears from sources that the club lost around $30MM in 2025. It is always a source of conjecture about how much or little any MLB team (apart from the Braves, who are publicly owned) is really making given all of the accounting that goes into a club’s many revenues streams, yet even if the Diamondbacks did operate at a loss, it hasn’t stopped Kendrick from continuing to spend on a roster he believes is capable of big things. Further spending to ensure a more competitive team may well be the most logical way of getting the team back into the black, as a winning product leads to higher attendance, higher TV ratings, and extra games in the form of playoff contests.
More moves could come before Opening Day, albeit on a lower spending scale. John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports writes that the D’Backs are looking to trade a prospect for a utilityman type of player. This new addition would replace the recently-traded Blaze Alexander as a multi-position asset coming off the Diamondbacks’ bench. While an exact match for Alexander may not be a priority, Alexander is a right-handed hitter who saw time as second base, third base, shortstop, left field, and center field over his two seasons in the desert.
Most of Arizona’s offseason spending was invested in two familiar faces. Zac Gallen spent most of the winter on the free agent market after rejecting Arizona’s qualifying offer, but this past week returned to the fold on a one-year, $22.025MM deal that technically matches the value of the QO, though $14MM of the money is deferred. After the D’Backs traded Merrill Kelly to the Rangers at the trade deadline, Kelly was brought back in December on a two-year deal worth $40MM in guaranteed money, with a vesting option covering the 2028 season.
Soon after Kelly re-signed, reports emerged that a team on the West Coast made Kelly a three-year offer worth over $50MM, and that the Padres were one of Kelly’s prime suitors. Speaking with Piecoro and other media today, Kelly said the Padres had a three-year deal on the table, though he didn’t confirm the dollar figure. Beyond whatever numbers were involved, Kelly said his decision was based in large part on his family. It may well be that the Kelly clan simply preferred returning to the familiar routine of living and playing in Arizona, and Kelly himself said last summer amidst trade speculation that he would be open to re-signing with the Snakes in free agency.
Turning to an injury update, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of 98.7 Arizona Sports) that first baseman Tyler Locklear isn’t expected back until sometime around mid-May or possibly early June. Locklear underwent twin surgeries to fix both a labrum problem in his left shoulder and a ligament tear in his left elbow. There was some hope Locklear would be ready to return to the Diamondbacks’ lineup at some point in April, though today’s news puts more of a specific timeline in place.
Locklear will definitely start the season on at least the 10-day injured list, and a move to the 60-day IL would occur if the D’Backs are certain Locklear won’t be ready by the end of May. The team can continue to monitor his progress throughout Spring Training and in April with no penalty, as a shift to the 60-day IL would still keep Locklear’s placement date as Opening Day.
Over 47 games and 165 career plate appearances with the Mariners and Diamondbacks, Locklear has hit just .169/.255/.277 against Major League pitching. His impressive minor league numbers hint at more potential, though once he does get healthy, Locklear’s potential spot as a platoon partner with Pavin Smith at first base has now been filled by Carlos Santana. Since Arizona doesn’t have a set DH, there is room for Locklear to potentially earn some at-bats down the road, but for the next three months, his only priority is completing his rehab.
If you’re already pushing $224M in tax payroll, reportedly losing $30M, and still not a playoff team… what exactly is the marginal win cost of this strategy?
Trying to build goodwill before the next CBA negotiation?