Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks plan to increase their payroll to at least $75 million in 2010, perhaps more if they find a bargain in the free agent market.

They will attempt to add a No. 4 starter, at least one veteran bullpen arm and a Tony Clark-type backup corner infielder who also can add a clubhouse presence.

Managing partner Ken Kendrick, watching D-backs prospects at an Arizona Fall League game the second week of November, would not confirm the exact salary increase for fear of giving other teams a competitive advantage, but he did say the D-backs will spend more than the $73 million and change that went toward the 2009 edition that went 70-92.

"A lot of teams may cut back, but we are prepared to add. We think we could find some value out there" on the free agent market, Kendrick said.

The D-backs have about $36 million in 2010 contract commitments to Eric Byrnes ($11 million), Brandon Webb ($8.5 million), Dan Haren ($8.25 million), Chris Snyder ($4.75 million) and Chris Young ($3.25 million), and also have bonus payments of $1 million due to Justin Upton and Max Scherzer.

With that, and adding estimated arbitration and renewal costs, the D-backs could have as much as $20 million to spend, especially if they are able to trade Snyder and Byrnes, who will not enter spring training as starters. Kendrick also said the D-backs are unlikely to release Byrnes, who has struggled with injuries since signing a $30 million extension late in 2007.

Kendrick indicated the D-backs would commit more resources to the bullpen, an area that has not been heavily financed the last several seasons. The D-backs traded Jose Valverde to Houston after he recorded a franchise-record 47 saves in 2007 rather than go to arbitration with the closer, who received a $4.7 million award. They obtained less expensive Chad Qualls, who earned $1.31 million.

The D-backs did not pursue relievers Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz after the 2008 season, when they became free agents. While free agent Valderde, who made $8 million in 2009, is too costly to pursue now, the D-backs are likely to target Lyon, who was a successful setup man in 2007 and a quality closer in the first half of 2008.

Lyon, 6-5 with three saves a 2.86 ERA while making $4.25 million with Detroit last season, did not want to leave and even offered to return to the D-backs in a setup role last season after spending the first five months of 2008 as the closer.

--lhp J

ordan Norberto, RHP Daniel Stange, RHP Roque Mercedes and OF Cole Gillespie were added to the 40-man roster. Mercedes and Gillespie were both acquired from the Brewers this year in the deal that sent INF Felipe Lopez to Milwaukee.

• RHP Aaron Heilman was acquired from the Cubs for two minor league players Nov. 19, as the Diamondbacks took their first step in adding veteran help to the bullpen. Heilman, 31, was 4-4 with one save and a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances in 2009, his first season with the Cubs after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Mets. "Aaron has been a successful, durable reliever who will add experience and stability to our bullpen," D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said. Heilman is 26-37 with 10 saves and a 4.22 ERA in 375 career games. He has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining after playing for $1,625,000 in 2009, and his salary is likely to be in the mid-$2 million range next year. The Cubs acquired LHP Scott Maine and 1B Ryne White in the deal. Maine, a seventh-round pick in 2007, was 4-5 with seven saves and a 2.90 ERA while splitting 2009 between Class AA Mobile and Class AAA Reno. White, a fourth-round pick in 2008, hit .266 with six homers and 52 RBIs at Class A Visalia this year.

• SS Stephen Drew has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate in national speculation, but D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall told fans during his monthly chat session that Drew will not be moved. "That comes from other teams having interest and floating his name out there," Hall said. "He would be too tough to replace if we ever moved him. Strictly rumors." Drew was the third shortstop in major league history to hit 40 doubles, 10 triples and 20 home runs in the same season when he batted .291 with 44 doubles, 11 triples and 21 homers in 2008, although he slumped to .261 and 26, 12 and 12 after a slow start in 2009.

• The D-backs and Colorado broke ground Nov. 16 on their two-team spring training facility that will open in 2011. The new spring stadium, built on land owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, will cost about $100 million and will be located about 10 miles north and slightly east of the Scottsdale facility that currently hosts the San Francisco Giants.

• RHP Bryan Augenstein, a dark horse candidate for a spot in the 2010 rotation behind RHP Billy Buckner, had a strong finish in the prospect-heavy Arizona Fall League. Augenstein was 1-4 with a 4.16 ERA in six AFL starts, but he gave up only four earned runs over 15 2/3 innings (2.30 ERA) in his final five outings. Augenstein threw only 5 2/3 innings in the final six weeks of the regular season while in the D-backs bullpen as a September call-up. He struck out 15 and walked four in 17 1/3 AFL innings.

• C John Hester, who homered in his first major league plate appearance Aug. 28, was named the catcher on the Class AAA All-Star team chosen by Topps. Hester, 26, hit .328 with nine home runs and 66 RBIs in 92 games at Reno. He threw out 30 percent of the runners attempting to steal on him. Hester, 26, was a 13th-round draft pick out of Stanford in 2006 and is a candidate to become the D-backs' backup catcher in 2010 should they work a deal for C Chris Snyder and not sign a veteran free agent.

• Gil Heredia, a 10-year major league veteran, was named the pitching coach at rookie-league Missoula to replace Steve Merriman, who took a job with the Major League Scouting Bureau. Heredia worked with the staff at short-season Yakima in his first season in the system. The right-hander won 13 games for Oakland in 1999 and 15 in 2000 and was 57-51 with a 4.46 ERA in a career that began with San Francisco and included stops in Montreal, Texas and Oakland.

By The Numbers:

$20 million—The amount of money, give or take, the D-backs have to spend this offseason to add free agents or veteran contracts in 2010.

Quote To Note:

"We will look at pitching free agents for both the rotation and the bullpen, as well as a veteran for the bench. Most of what we do may have to come through trades, however. There are not many holes to fill. We just need to get off to a better start and to hope for better health. Last season was a strange one where anything and everything that could go wrong did."

—President/CEO Derrick Hall, on the D-backs' offseason shopping list.

The D-backs addressed several of their offseason needs immediately after the World Series, accepting the $8.5 million 2010 option on RHP Brandon Webb's contract, acquiring 2B Tony Abreu as the player to be named in the RHP Jon Garland deal and trading for a veteran reliever, RHP Aaron Heilman.

Biggest Needs:

The D-backs must add at least one starting pitcher, even after retaining Webb to go with RHP Dan Haren and RHP Max Scherzer at the top of the rotation, and they want to add another veteran reliever despite acquiring RHP Aaron Heilman in mid-November. Another solid arm (such as RHP Jon Garland in 2009) will be sought for the rotation because of uncertainty below the top three. RHP Billy Buckner pitched well enough down the stretch to be given first shot, but his resume is hit-and-miss. RHP Jarrod Parker, the ninth player taken overall in the 2007 draft, would have been a candidate, but he underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on Oct. 28.

Arrivals:

2B Tony Abreu (trade with Dodgers), RHP Aaron Heilman (trade with Cubs).

Free Agents:

LHP Doug Davis, LHP Scott Schoeneweis, 1B/3B Chad Tracy, RHP Daniel Cabrera.

The D-backs offered Davis a one-year deal late in 2009, but Davis wanted multiple years, so talks broke off. Usually when a situation like that occurs, the D-backs move on, but Davis lives in Phoenix and might reconsider if given a chance. Schoeneweis, who also lives in Phoenix, is unlikely to return. The Diamondbacks declined Tracy's $7 million option. Cabrera chose free agency when he was outrighted off the 40-man roster.

Arbitration-eligible:

RHP Blaine Boyer, SS Stephen Drew, RHP Aaron Heilman, OF/1B Conor Jackson, C Miguel Montero, INF Augie Ojeda, RHP Chad Qualls

The D-backs have never gone to arbitration in general manager Josh Byrnes' four years, preferring to settle at the midway point if figures are exchanged. Drew, Jackson, Montero and Qualls certainly will be back. Ojeda is their best defender and wants to return, but the addition of Abreu thickens the middle-infield cast. Jackson's case will be interesting, as he missed almost five months with "valley fever" following a 2008 season in which he hit .300. Heilman was acquired on Nov. 19, so the D-backs will offer him if the sides do not settle beforehand.

In Limbo:

OF Eric Byrnes has fallen to fourth outfielder, even fifth if Conor Jackson regains his health, and he will be shopped again, although he is owed $11 million in the final year of his contract in 2010 and has a no-trade clause. C Chris Snyder signed a contract extension that will pay him $3.5 million in 2010 and $4.5 million in 2011, and the D-backs already took a shot at moving that money when they discussed a trade with Toronto for 1B Lyle Overbay. Clubs no doubt will want to see Snyder healthy in spring training before a deal could be made.

Medical Watch:

RHP Brandon Webb (right shoulder cleanup surgery in August 2009) played catch the second week in November, the first time he had thrown a ball since his operation. Both he and the D-backs expect him to be full-go for spring training.

OF/1B Conor Jackson (valley fever) was off to a strong start with Escogido of the Dominican winter league, showing no signs of the fatigue that marked his earlier attempts to get back on the field.

RHP Chad Qualls (left knee surgery in September 2009) is expected to be ready for spring training.

C Chris Snyder (microdiscectomy in September 2009) is expected to be 100 percent when spring training begins.

RHP Jarrod Parker (Tommy John surgery in October 2009) has begun the rehabilitation process, but he will miss the 2010 season. Parker, 20, was considered the D-backs' best minor league pitching prospect.