Snake Bytes 2/16: Take a Picture...

Diamondbacks News:

[SI] Diamondbacks increase payroll more than 20%

In 2019 and 2020 the Diamondbacks entered spring training with payrolls in excess of $123 million. However following the Pandemic shortened season of 2020 the team reduced opening day payroll to an estimated $90-95 million for each of 2021 and 2022. Heading into 2023 the D-backs now project to have an opening day payroll between $114-115 million, or an increase of 20%-25% from the previous two seasons.

[AZC] Diamondbacks banking on youthful upside after quiet offseason

“I think the majority of the growth of our team is going to come internally,” General Manager Mike Hazen said. “And that’s a little difficult to predict. We have a lot of young players.”

[MLB] D-backs unlikely to start season with designated closer

“We’re gonna be fluid in that area,” Lovullo said. “What I’ve done for the past six years is, I’ve always had a closer. That’s just how my mind works. But I’ve got to evolve a little bit in that area. So if I feel the need to I will [name a closer], if somebody emerges I might, but for right now it’s very fluid. I haven’t yet made up my mind about naming somebody as our ninth-inning guy.”

[MLB] D-backs 2023 opening day roster prediction

“Where our bullpen was, I don’t think we’re just going to hand over slots or spots to anybody at this point in time outside of guaranteed Major League deals,” Hazen said. “There’s going to be competition to see who is going to be in there.”

[MLBTR] Diamondbacks DFA Tyler Holton

The D-backs announced Wednesday that they’ve designated lefty Tyler Holton for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for fellow southpaw Andrew Chafin, whose one-year deal to return to Arizona has now become official.

Baseball News:

[ESPN] 2023 MLB Spring Training is here! What we can't wait to see.

To celebrate the sport’s return, we asked our MLB experts to weigh in on the teams, themes and stars they can’t wait to check out as spring training begins.

[CB] Jacob deGrom is injured, heralding the official return of baseball

[MLBTR] Stephen Strasburg suffers setback, timetable for return unclear

The former first overall pick made one start last year and has pitched in just eight MLB games going back to the beginning of the 2020 season. He was initially diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome during the shortened season, undergoing surgery that year after two starts. He returned for five appearances in 2021 before undergoing thoracic outlet surgery (which involves the removal of part of a rib to alleviate nerve pressure) and told Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post in September his TOS symptoms have dated back at least as far as 2018.

[SI] MLB is about to become much more exciting

“A stalling game is a game between coaches. But the [shot] clock gives the game back to the players.”

—Jacksonville basketball coach Bob Wenzel, 1982

[SN] WBC schedule 2023: complete dates, times, TV channels for every WBC game

Twenty teams will compete for the title, currently held by the United States after it defeated Puerto Rico at Dodger Stadium in 2017. The 20-team field is the largest the World Baseball Classic has ever had. In its previous four iterations, only 16 teams have played.