Only a couple of weeks since last time we checked in, but there have been some quite significant and dramatic changes to things, both in terms of new signings, and in losses due to injuries. So, let’s review what the Opening Day roster might look like, now the dust has settled, and with spring training games scheduled to kick off tomorrow. As ever, new names since last time are shown in bold.
Starting rotation
- Merrill Kelly ($20m)
- Zac Gallen ($22m)
- Ryne Nelson ($3m)
- Eduardo Rodriguez ($21m)
- Brandon Pfaadt ($3.4m)
The unexpected return of Gallen to Arizona certainly poses a bit of a roster problem. While, obviously, we’re likely going to need more than five starters over the course of the year, there are now six on the roster. Unless the team goes with a six-man rotation to open the year, which seems unlikely, someone is going to be left out. I’d say it’s probably going to be between Pfaadt and winter signing Michael Soroka. It is possible Pfaadt, who still has minor-league options, could be sent to Reno to remain a starter and wait for the eventual need at the major-league level. But considering the long-term contract he signed less than a year ago, what kind of message would that demotion send?
On the other hand, Soroka is being paid as a starting pitcher: $7.5 million is an awful lot of money for a long reliever. It’s also a role which will make it harder to transition back to being a starter. So this could go other way. It’s marginally possible Ryne Nelson ends up being the one on the outside, though given how effective he was after moving into the rotation last year, that would be a strange decision, even if he is the lowest-paid member of the 2026 rotation. And don’t forget, Corbin Burnes should be back at some point, perhaps triggering a still more difficult conundrum for Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo. Though let’s cross that bridge when we get to it!
Bullpen
- Ryan Thompson ($3.95m)
- Kevin Ginkel ($2.725m)
- Taylor Clarke ($1.55m)
- Kade Stroud
- Paul Sewald ($1.5m)
- Michael Soroka ($7.5m)
- Brandyn Garcia
- Drey Jameson
One in, one out. An unwelcome surprise was the news that Andrew Saalfrank is going to miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and he has duly been taken off the 40-man roster and placed on the 60-day IL. In exchange, the team signed Sewald to a one-year deal, the fanbase reacting with a response somewhere between “Why?” and “Meh.” I doubt he will be seeing save situations initially. The question would be, who will be getting those out of the gate? I’d say it could be Thompson, Ginkel or Stroud, and is something to be decided over the course of spring training. Torey is certainly not committing at this point.
The other change is spurred by the loss of Saalfrank. Simply replacing him with Sewald would have given the team an entirely right-handed bullpen, which isn’t something Torey Lovullo appears to favor. Right now, Garcia and Philip Abner are the only healthy left-handed relief options on the 40-man roster, so options for the role are limited. It might be an area where there’s a chance for a left-handed non-roster invitee to break through, but as we previously discussed, the options there lean more towards starting pitching than the reliever. It’s possible this is an area with more work to be done before Opening Day.
Starting line-up
- Catcher: Gabriel Moreno ($2.55m)
- First base: Carlos Santana ($2m)
- Second base: Ketel Marte ($15m)
- Shortstop: Geraldo Perdomo ($6.25m)
- Third-base: Nolan Arenado ($5m)
- Left field: Ryan Waldschmidt
- Center field: Jordan Lawlar
- Right field: Alek Thomas ($1.96m)
- Designated hitter: Pavin Smith ($2.25m)
The broken hamate suffered by Corbin Carroll has put a major spoke in the wheel of the intended Opening Day line-up, though if all goes well, Carroll should be back not too long into the regular season. There’s even a chance he might be back for Opening Day, but that may be optimistic. With just two “true” outfielders healthy on the 40-man roster (Thomas and Jorge Barrosa), the door is wide open for top prospect Waldschmidt to stake a claim to a position on the MLB roster. His spring training performances will determine that. But it looks like Lawlar will be used in CF: given his entire professional experience in the outfield is three (3) games, that’s going to be interesting.
Of note on the infield: Tyler Locklear is going to be out of action quite some way into the regular season – to the point he could be a 60-day IL candidate if the team needs another 40-man roster spot. Torey Lovullo said on Sunday Locklear won’t be back until at least the second half of May. When he does, he’ll have to prove himself better than Santana to justify anything like an everyday spot in the line-up. Though as we are about to see, the Arizona bench is not exactly a Maginot Line of strength.
Bench
- James McCann ($2.75m)
- Tim Tawa
- Jorge Barrosa
- Ildemaro Vargas
The team is still looking to add a utility player, and with the news that Del Castillo is likely going to miss Opening Day with a calf strain, the depth on the 40-man roster has become thinner still. Of the sixteen position players there, four are now potentially off the table, Del Castillo joining Carroll, Gurriel and Locklear. This leaves the D-backs with a scant dozen healthy bodies – fewer than the bare thirteen needed to form your typical Opening Day roster. We could end up adding Jose Fernandez, since there isn’t anyone else left on the 40-man roster – but would still need to bring in Waldschmidt, as discussed above, simply to complete the roster.
On that basis, let’s also dip into the non-roster invitees to fill that final spot at the back of the bench. There are some prospects who have a shot, including Tommy Troy and LuJames Groover. But there’s nobody who is more familiar with Arizona than Vargas: he first joined the Diamondbacks back in May 2015 (when Troy and Groover were both thirteen!). We saw his positional flexibility last year when, in just 38 games here, Ildemaro played at every infield spot, and also started three games at DH. The last time he appeared on Opening Day here was 2020. There would almost be something historic about him doing so in 2026.
Payroll
- Estimated 2026 Payroll: $195M
- Estimated Final 2025 Payroll: $188M
Well, so much for the team cutting payroll. According to the Fangraphs figure, the team is several million dollars above where they finished last season. Admittedly, that final figure was after they shed payroll at the trade deadline, getting rid of Kelly, Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Jordan Montgomery. But it certainly does not seem like any incoming utility player is going to be a free-agent – and, certainly, not an expensive one. Per Gambo’s Tweet linked above, that player will be “most likely coming via trade and using minor-league depth.” Payroll will likely be a consideration, but since he’s likely to be a bench option, I doubt he’ll be that expensive.
But comparing like to like, the current figure is about ten million more than on Opening Day last year. Even more surprising, the team is within striking distance of the first luxury tax band, which is certainly unprecedented. For that purposes, the payroll is considerably higher than the raw ”actual” figure, because it uses the average annual value of each player’s contract, so excludes deferments. Right now, reports suggest Arizona there is only about $7.5 million short of moving into the first luxury tax bracket, where they would be subject to a 20% surcharge on all overages. I doubt we want to go there, so there likely will be no significant salary added at the trade deadline by the Diamondbacks.