They did say the payroll is likely to be higher this year, and then drop in 2009-10, as Ortiz and RJ drop off the books. This was the sentence that got me: "The D-Backs paid about $29 million in deferred money in 2007 and will pay about $20 million in deferments the next two years." If anyone wonders why we can't compete for the top-level free agents, I think the answer is right there.

First of all the 230-240 figure came from Magruder, not Kendrick. Magruder was speculating, and he was speculating based on numbers that he has read elsewhere..(such as DBBP)

Originally payroll was going to be 75 this year, or 5 million more than last year, and they were going up in 5 million increments

75
80
85
--
240

What they might be doing is something like

80
75
85

This isn't the same as doing what Colangelo did, which was defer salary. They have Ortiz coming off the books next, and RJ too. So they will have some added flexibility next year. What they seem to be doing is shifting next years flexibility to this year.

Overall...whether or not they exceed 240 over the next 3 years remains to be see...but I emphasize...re read the article. Kendrick would not give Magruder a figure....Magruder guessed at 230-240...but he doesn't really know. (neither do I)

The story, to me, isnt so much about moving dough from the 2009 bucket to the 2008 bucket, as it is Kendrick's unspoken suggestion that the three year umbrella payroll will remain relatively static in the face of unexpected revenue windfalls.

I mean, if you had initially budgeted x total dollars for player payroll over three years, based on old revenue and cost projections, and you suddenly had extra moolah and you've decided to rebudget current payroll and you've been advertising this intention to increase payroll commensurate with the club's improving financials...well, doesnt this story kind of write itself in a very straightforward way? We got more money, so we're going to spend it, or at least budget it, on players.

But instead, we get this determined effort by Mr Kendrick to leave the distinct impression that they're not really increasing payroll at all - not in any meaningful, longterm sense. So, if you're not increasing payroll under your new fiscal calendar, and your revenue unexpectedly spiked, and not a cent is going into the partners' pockets, and deferred salaries were accounted for in the previous budget, where is the "extra" money going?

Is there an "unexpected" expense tying up this new money? The scoreboard's new. Josh Byrnes, Derrick Hall and some other executives are receiving extensions, amounts undisclosed. Anything else? I'm all ears.

Further, does anything seem fishy about the Dbax hot pursuit of Carp? If you really intended to sign Kuroda, would your principle (Kendrick) proclaim Kuroda's better than any available pitcher in North America, while the offer's pending? I understand Kuroda has yet to express an interest in visiting the valley. This offer sounds DOA, and I suspect this new money will go, if not straight into the partner's pockets, somewhere other than Japan.

Must you see the boogey man behind EVERYTHING?

First of all, what are you talking about when you say :

"Kendrick's unspoken suggestion that the three year umbrella payroll will remain relatively static in the face of  unexpected  revenue windfalls."

Your level of speculation to try to buttress a point wholly unsupported by fact or knowledge is astonishing.

Like all businesses, they have a plan. At the same time, they have shown they can be flexibile in adjusting that plan as circumstances change. For example, their original stated payroll plan  prior to last year called  for a payroll budget of

60-65 in 07
65-70 in 08
70-75 in 09

By which point they expected the majority of deferred salary to be paid off, and they would be able to make more substantial increases by 2010.

However, they had more revenue than expected in 2007, and actually ended up spending 70 million on payroll, or at least 5 million above budget. (Not all of it wisely spent of course, but that is a separate issue).  The point is they increased their spending on player payroll above their original plan, in response to increased revenues and the opportunity to compete.

Furthermore, it was stated clearly by Jeff Moorad in September that the team would "spend more in 08 than 07"...leading to the clear conclusion that the 3 year payroll plan they had in place had been accelerated.

Recently, prior to the above linked article, Josh Byrnes had been quoted as saying the 2008 payroll budget would be 75 million. However, since this article has come out, they are now indicating they can spend more than that in 08  if they have too.

I am sure they have some concept of what their revenues are likely to be over the next 3 seasons. However, should those revenue projections be exceeded by a large amount, there is clearly precedent showing ownership is willing to re invest at least a portion of that extra revenue into player related expenses.

To say otherwise is to ignore the facts, and is simply an attempt to construct yet one more unfounded criticism.

Sorry Ben....somehow scrolling around, my brains eye saw your name, and not Diamondhacks at the bottom of your post.