PHOENIX -- The D-backs didn't make any deals at the General Managers Meetings, which ended on Thursday, but GM Josh Byrnes did come away with a good feeling for how both the trade and free-agent markets are shaping up.

"We had a number of discussions and laid some groundwork on some things," Byrnes said. "We'll have to see what happens."

Before leaving for the meetings, the D-backs honed their offseason strategy on the white board that covers one of the walls in Byrnes' Chase Field office. After plenty of internal discussions, the consensus was that the team that won 82 games and finished second in the National League West in 2008 needs some tweaking around the edges, but not wholesale changes.

"I think the core of our roster is good and stable," Byrnes said.

The main position the D-backs are targeting during the offseason is second base, as they expect to lose Orlando Hudson to free agency. With under $10 million to spend during the offseason and not much to trade from a farm system that has been depleted at the top levels by deals over the past few years, the team is aware it will more than likely not replace Hudson with someone of equal talent. Still they are confident that they can get a player, or a combination of players that will be productive.

Though Byrnes would not comment on specific free agents or trade possibilities, two names that make the most sense are Ramon Vazquez and Adam Kennedy. Vazquez, a free agent, hits left-handed and is a good defender, while Kennedy, a left-handed hitter, is also strong defensively and the Cardinals have expressed a desire to move him.

If the right deal, whether it's a signing free agent or making a trade, comes along, it would not be a surprise to see the D-backs move quickly. If a deal takes longer or the free agents take a while to sort out the market, Arizona will be patient.

"We have a few trades that could make sense and some free agents that could make some sense for us," Byrnes said. "We'll just keep working at it."

Team free-agent reports Choose Your Team AL East • Baltimore Orioles • Boston Red Sox • New York Yankees • Tampa Bay Rays • Toronto Blue Jays AL Central • Cleveland Indians • Chicago White Sox • Detroit Tigers • Kansas City Royals • Minnesota Twins AL West • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim • Oakland Athletics • Seattle Mariners • Texas Rangers NL East • Atlanta Braves • Florida Marlins • New York Mets • Philadelphia Phillies • Washington Nationals NL Central • Chicago Cubs • Cincinnati Reds • Houston Astros • Milwaukee Brewers • Pittsburgh Pirates • St. Louis Cardinals NL West • Arizona Diamondbacks • Colorado Rockies • Los Angeles Dodgers • San Diego Padres • San Francisco Giants • Hot Stove MLBlog • Hot Stove Tracker

Kennedy has one year and $4 million left on a three-year, $10 million deal. How much of the salary the Cardinals would be willing to pick up likely depends on the caliber of player they would get in return.

"If there's something that made sense to move Kennedy, it could happen now or it could happen later," Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said. "I don't think it would be a fair characterization to say it's something we're not going to deal with until other things were completed."

Six D-backs have filed for free agency: Hudson, outfielder Adam Dunn, first baseman Tony Clark, reliever Juan Cruz, reliever Brandon Lyon and infielder David Eckstein. Left-hander Randy Johnson is eligible for free agency, but he has yet to file.

Of that group, it seems only Clark, Lyon and Johnson have a realistic chance of returning. The D-backs value the leadership that Clark brings in the clubhouse, and he could be had at a reasonable price because he would like to finish his career in Arizona, where he lives.

Lyon's agent, Barry Meister, said recently that Lyon would see what the market is for his services and then come back to the D-backs and see if the two sides could work something out. The right-hander started the year as the club's closer before losing the role in mid-September to Chad Qualls, who will go into Spring Training as the team's closer. Meister said that Lyon would be willing to go to a team that planned on using him in an eighth-inning setup role if the situation were right.

While the D-backs would like to have Lyon back, it seems doubtful that they can offer as much as other teams both in terms of years and dollars if there is demand on the market for him.

Johnson's situation is trickier. The 45-year-old finished the season strong and has said that the further he gets from his two back surgeries -- the last of which was in early August 2007 -- the better he feels.

Whether the two sides will be able to reach an agreement is another story. Johnson made $10 million last year, and while he would probably take a discount to pitch at home, just how much of a discount is not known. The big left-hander is just five wins away from 300.