Despite the bullpen being a clear need to address this offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks did not sign any proven late-inning arms in free agency. Their only significant addition was Taylor Clarke, who inked a one-year deal to reunite with the team that drafted him a decade ago.
The lack of a proven late-inning pedigree could also be tied to the club’s tight budget. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told The Arizona Republic‘s Nick Piecoro that addressing the bullpen more aggressively would have come with significant tradeoffs.
“I wouldn’t have Merrill Kelly,” Hazen told Piecoro.
Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick stated in September that he expects payroll to be lower than the $220 million they spent in 2025. At the time of this writing, Arizona is currently at $209.2 million according to Cots Contracts.
The Diamondbacks aren’t a team that can throw money or make a trade to solve every problem, like the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to BrooksGate, Arizona generated $328 million in revenue in 2024. That’s less than what the Dodgers get just from their TV deal ($334 million) per year alone.
One area the Diamondbacks should be applauded for is spending relative to what they make. BrooksGate had the Diamondbacks spending roughly two-thirds of their 2024 revenue on their 2025 payroll, which ranked fifth in MLB.
Diamondbacks Prioritized Rotation over Bullpen
With limited resources and so many problems, Hazen had to prioritize which areas needed to be addressed first. He chose the starting rotation as his number one priority to address.
The Diamondbacks’ biggest additions reflect that. Arizona brought back Kelly and took a flier on Michael Soroka to fill their two vacancies in the rotation. Between both starters, the club added $27.5 million in payroll.
Gallen’s fate is still unclear, but there remains a possibility he could return due to a weak market.
However, the question remains if there’s any room left to sign him. Or could Kendrick make an exception for a player on a short-term deal? There is precedent for such a move, as the Diamondbacks signed Jordan Montgomery in March 2024. But considering that Kendrick openly expressed regret on the deal, it’s unclear if they’ll go that route again.
As the Diamondbacks focused on their rotation, all the top free-agent relievers got snatched up by the market. 13 relievers landed contracts of at least $9 million per season this offseason. Seranthony Dominiguez was the only player of that group who signed after January 1.
It’s not a decision you can fault Hazen for making. The organization has much more functional reliever depth than rotation depth. They’re still one injury from repeating a disaster scenario regarding the rotation.
Where Do the Diamondbacks Go for Bullpen Help?
With no viable upgrades available in the open market, that means Hazen will have to look at a trade. That isn’t necessarily easy, as teams loathe dealing backend relievers.
“The bullpen market isn’t done,” Hazen told Piecoro. “There are trades out there. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I don’t think this is a dead position as it relates to what we’re doing moving forward.”
This is right in line with what Arizona Sports radio host John Gambadoro reported on January 22. The Diamondbacks can leverage some of their infield depth to make a deal. That could get them a band-aid for the late innings, which is what they need for now.
The other reality is that Arizona will have to rely on the arms it has now. It’s a tough pill to swallow, considering they pitched to the fourth-worst ERA (4.82) and the fewest shutdowns (115) in 2025. Hazen has faith in his guys.
“Some of them are going to emerge as really good bullpen pieces. We don’t have a lot of guys ready to step into our rotation. If I had spent $15 million on one of those good bullpen arms, I wouldn’t have Merrill Kelly.”
Regardless of who they add, they’ll need their guys to step up. Kevin Ginkel, if healthy, could get the first opportunity at the closer role. He stepped up in a similar situation in 2024.
Other arms to account for include Yilber Diaz, Drey Jameson, Andrew Saalfrank, and Brandyn Garcia. Arizona also added Jonathan Loaisiga on a minor league deal.
Arizona needs this group to hold together while they wait for co-closers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez to return. If the unit holds serve in the first half of the 2026 season, they could surprise some teams in the second half.
Diamondbacks GM Defends Soft Approach to Bullpen Moves