The Diamondbacks are picking up their $15MM option on , reports Je se Rogers of ESPN ( ). The deal would have come with a $2MM buyout, effectively rendering it a $13MM decision. Just a few months ago, the Diamondbacks wouldnt have envisioned making this decision. Surez got out to a terrible start to the season Trevor Ariza Jersey , his first in the desert after an offseason trade with the Mariners. He went into the All-Star Break with a .216/.302/.366 slash while striking out in nearly 29% of his plate appearances. Arizona considered bumping him out of the starting lineup in deference to rookie infielder . A monster second half not only salvaged his starting job but locked in that extra $13MM. Surez was one of the games hottest hitters after the Break. He mashed at a .307/.341/.602 clip with 20 homers in his final 65 games. He cut his strikeout rate by a few percentage points while running a three-month power barrage. By the end of the season, hed pushed his numbers to a .256/.319/.469 line with 30 homers acro s 640 plate appearances. After accounting for the difference in his home park, thats not far off the cumulative .234/.327/.423 showing he posted over his final two seasons in Seattle. Surez e sentially played at the level Arizona expected, albeit in extremely streaky fashion. It wouldve been surprising for the Diamondbacks to cut him loose on the heels of that monster finish. Hes a potential offseason trade candidate, though. Bringing Surez back blocks the clearest path to playing time for top prospect . The Snakes have and locked into the middle infield. The 22-year-old Lawlar lost most of this year to injury. He only appeared in 23 minor league games and didnt see any MLB action despite making his big league debut late in the 23 season. Lawlar still has minor league options remaining, so the Snakes could keep him in Triple-A for another year. If they feel hell be ready for an extended audition early next season, shopping Surez could allow them to reallocate salary while recouping value they wouldnt have received if theyd bought out the option. Option decisions on and Surez push Arizonas projected payroll to roughly $137MM, as calculated by . An easy option call to retain will add another $6MM. Arizona opened this past season with a franchise-record payroll in the $163MM range. If theyre willing to replicate that, theyll have some leeway to replace free agents and . Trades of Montgomery and/or Surez could clear a good bit more money if ownership doesnt want to match this years spending. They wont find a taker for the entirety of Montgomerys $22.5MM deal, but teams like the Yankees, Blue Jays or Astros could be willing to give up talent while taking Surezs salary off the books. Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network. Dan Majerle Jersey