PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall says he expects the team’s payroll to come down next season, telling MLB.com the club does not need to spend at its recent level to win.
“I do not think we need to spend at that level to win and believe it will come down,” Hall said in a Q&A with MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. He acknowledged he said the same thing a year ago before payroll increased.
“With so many young players, we should be able to better manage a Major League budget without sacrificing our competitiveness,” Hall said, adding the team would only spend more if it believed that would improve results.
Hall called the 2026 season a success despite injuries to key players, crediting manager Torey Lovullo for keeping Arizona in the National League Wild Card race until the final day. He also praised the bullpen and the young prospects who filled roster holes.
“I am never happy about not making the postseason, but we had roster challenges all year,” Hall said.
On Chase Field, Hall said the team is looking at fan-experience projects, especially in the upper deck. But he said large projects, such as HVAC and exterior roof repairs, have not started while the team negotiates a new lease with the stadium district board.
Until that agreement is complete, the team does not want to use any of the tax recollection dollars, Hall said.
Hall also called September’s 25th-anniversary reunion of the 2001 World Series champions “as wonderful a tribute and celebration as I have seen.”
Sources: MLB.com. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: MSgt. Raheem Moore / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
