SF Giants news: Diamondback's payroll, former hitting coach update, AFL opens

While the playoffs continue, there are some news nuggets that pertain to the SF Giants. Most notably, the Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to lower payroll, and the Arizona Fall League (AFL) opened on Saturday.

SF Giants news: Diamondback's payroll, former hitting coach update, AFL opens

1. Arizona Diamondbacks expected to lower payroll

The Diamondbacks will likely not be bringing in too many high-priced free agents this offseason. Club owner Ken Kendrick joined the Burns and Gambo Show of Arizona Sports and confirmed this by stating, "It’ll be a lower payroll than we had this year."

Arizona has quietly been one of the more aggressive teams in free agency in recent years. They had a surprise appearance in the World Series in 2023 and invested in the roster with the hopes of returning to the playoffs. However, that hope has not come to fruition.

The Diamondbacks have missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. They have been a competitive team, but not enough to get back into the playoffs. In 2026, they won 86 games, which in most seasons, is enough to make the playoffs, but that was not the case this year.

According to Cot's, they committed $230 million against the luxury tax in 2026. That was about $14 million below the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold.

2. Miami Marlins part ways with Pedro Guerrero

The Miami Marlins made a change to their coaching staff. They parted ways with former Giants hitting coach Pedro Guerrero. Team president of baseball operations Peter Bendix told Christina De Nicola of MLB.Com that the club wants a new voice in that role.

That is not uncommon for teams after they miss the playoffs. After all, the tenure for many coaches, especially hitting coaches, tends to be brief.

Guerrero joined Gabe Kapler's staff as an assistant hitting coach for the 2022 season. He served in that role for three seasons before becoming a hitting coach for the Marlins. Guerrero had a strong connection to the Marlins, as Kapler now works in the front office.

3. The Arizona Fall League opened up on Saturday

The AFL season opened up on Saturday. Dakota Jordan and Kaeden Kent started the game for the Scottsdale Scorpions. They dropped the opener by a score of 9-3 to the Surprise Saguaros.

Jordan was hitless through five at-bats, and Kent tallied one hit in three at-bats. Darian Smith also got into the game, allowing one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts across two innings of work.

Not surprisingly, all three players missed time during the minor league season. Randy Rodríguez is also among the Giants' contingent in the AFL, and he will be using this season as a rehab assignment as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

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