No matter what Punxsutawney Phil saw or not, spring is here because Arizona Diamondbacks baseball is back.
Spring training officially begins on Wednesday when pitchers and catchers report, while the Diamondbacks’ Cactus League opener is Feb. 21.
The team in many ways is similar to last season. The offense is built around MVP finalist Ketel Marte, 2023 Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll and a balanced lineup of young talent and veterans. The notable differences are replacing Christian Walker with Josh Naylor and figuring out designated hitter against righties without Joc Pederson.
The Diamondbacks housed a starting pitching surplus going into the offseason and built on the rotation with the blockbuster addition of ace Corbin Burnes.
With spring training getting going over at Salt River Fields, let’s list out five angles to keep an eye on as we learn more about what the 2025 Diamondbacks will look like over the coming weeks. There’s going to be plenty more storylines to follow, of course, many of which we don’t know yet.
5 Diamondbacks storylines entering spring training
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Just because the Diamondbacks have at least seven MLB starting pitchers on the roster, that does not mean they will be come Opening Day. Whether injuries (knock on wood) or trades occur, something may change the outlook of the rotation in some way.
For now, the Diamondbacks have too many arms to fit into a rotation, and how they manage this conundrum is amongst the most notable questions going into spring training.
Burnes and Zac Gallen are clearly on top, while Merrill Kelly seems like the logical No. 3.
Eduardo Rodriguez is under contract for the next three years and makes $20 million in 2025. Younger options Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson showed real signs of progress in 2024. And then there’s veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery, who was the black sheep of the rotation last year whom managing partner Ken Kendrick criticized publicly.
Manager Torey Lovullo went on the Foul Territory show on Tuesday and said he spoke to Montgomery after Kendrick’s comments, and the 32-year-old vowed to be ready for a better season.
“He was able to offload a little bit, and he made a commitment to this group, to me, to this organization that he was gonna come into this spring training in the best shape of his life,” Lovullo said. “And he looks great. I can tell, when somebody walks in the door and they drop as much weight as he has, you know he had a really disciplined offseason and they are ready to go out there and make good things happen.”
Lovullo interestingly said starting pitching spots four, five, six, seven, eight and nine are uncertain, and he’s going to stress that this spring.
So the questions will begin as soon as Wednesday from whether the Diamondbacks will consider a six-man rotation, who is battling for a rotation spot and what it will take to get there.
Will the Diamondbacks make another move?
The Diamondbacks are not done exploring ways to improve the roster before Opening Day. General manager Mike Hazen said after re-signing Randal Grichuk he liked the balance of the offense and was focused on pitching, although he did not rule out a trade that digs into the position player group.
Montgomery has been on the reported trade block throughout the offseason, while Arizona’s pitching surplus gives them options to explore an area of need.
That area is the bullpen, as the Diamondbacks have sought some back-end help this winter without getting something done in that respect. The free agent closer market has almost dried up, as Kenley Jansen signed with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Hazen said trades and free agency were both avenues to continue to explore when looking to add to the bullpen.
Who will be the closer?
In the meantime, the Diamondbacks have internal closing options to vet this spring.
A.J. Puk is one, considering the big lefty was flat-out unhittable for nearly two months with a 27-appearance scoreless streak. Opponents hit below .162 against both his fastball and slider in 2024.
Justin Martinez looked the part of a closer in many stretches, as well. A 22-year-old rookie last year, Martinez blew away hitters with 100-102 mph heat he paired with devastating splitters and sliders. His walks were high, but he’s improved his command and at 23 years old presents a promising future back-end option.
Kevin Ginkel received some closer opportunities early on last year when Paul Sewald suffered an oblique strain and had some mixed results, but he put together another solid year after a terrific 2023.
And then there’s the potential an external candidate joins the team and takes over the ninth inning. Tampa Bay’s Pete Fairbanks has been linked to Arizona as a potential target, and the D-backs attempted to acquire Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley earlier this offseason, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro. Remaining free agents include David Robertson and Kyle Finnegan.
The D-backs figured out a capable bullpen in stretches last year after the unit helped propel the club in the 2023 postseason. With Sewald struggling in July and losing the closer role, there was a bit of a scramble to fill it. Setting roles has been made a big deal of.
How will center field shake out/will Alek Thomas show improvement?
Last year, Jake McCarthy’s role was uncertain going into spring training after a frustrating 2023 campaign. With Randal Grichuk spending the first 10 days of the regular season on the injured list, McCarthy making the team was a no-brainer, but how long would he stay? That question was cleared up quickly as stout defensive center fielder Alek Thomas suffered a hamstring injury during the opening series against Colorado, and a setback would push his return to July.
By that point, McCarthy was putting together a solid, bounce-back season with a .751 OPS through the end of June. And then he caught fire.
McCarthy hit .323 in July and August with an .878 OPS and very clearly snatched the everyday starting center field job even with Thomas available. Thomas struggled to hit coming off the IL, and Arizona optioned him to Triple-A Reno in mid-August to get him regular at-bats. Thomas ended up getting injured again, and McCarthy was the center fielder for the rest of the season.
Perhaps Thomas now faces a similar challenge McCarthy experienced last year.
Can Thomas show progress this spring at the plate to make his case? He clearly is the best defensive option in center field, not to take anything away from McCarthy or Corbin Carroll, who are plus defenders, but Thomas has gotten to baseballs the others haven’t, especially over their heads.
At the same time, in 277 career games, Thomas has a .629 OPS despite flashes, such as the 2023 postseason when he hit four home runs. Thomas hit the ball hard last year, but his 60.8% ground ball rate is astronomical compared to league average (44.4%).
He’s only 24 years old, already hitting the ball hard and improved his walk and strikeout rates last year. Even with all the grounders, his .200 average on balls in play suggests there could be some natural turnaround. Watching him hit this spring training could be the keyhole into a potentially classic center field camp battle.
Is Pavin Smith the guy at DH (vs. RHP)?
The Diamondbacks’ DH spot was a strength of the lineup last year, as Pederson and Grichuk both set OPS career highs while platooning. Grichuk is back to face lefties as a corner outfielder and DH, while the D-backs have moved on from Pederson after he signed with Texas.
Pavin Smith is expected to get first looks at filling that void.
Smith has bounced back and forth from the majors and minors over the past three years. He put up his best big league stretch last season with an .896 OPS and nine home runs in 60 games, memorably blasting three homers on Sunday Night Baseball at the Houston Astros.
The phrase “Pavin Smith can hit” has been repeated by both Hazen and Lovullo throughout his tenure, and he will receive the opportunity to hold onto a semiregular major league role for a team looking to contend.
If Smith does not pan out, rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo is another left-handed bat who showed promise during a 25-game cup of coffee in MLB last year (.893 OPS).
Bonus: What’s up with Jordan Lawlar?
Jordan Lawlar, considered the Diamondbacks’ top prospect, is healthy and ready for spring training after losing most of his 2024 season to injuries.
The deal here is very similar to last year. Arizona does not have an obvious role for him on the major league roster and having him play everyday in Triple-A Reno to start the year appears most likely.
This spring, there are a few storylines to watch with Lawlar. The refinement he shows on both ends on the field is one, and what the Diamondbacks’ plan for him is another. What would it take to get him to the major leagues if the starting infield stays healthy? Last year there was an opening as Geraldo Perdomo suffered a torn meniscus, but Lawlar was already on the injured list.
Lawlar has great speed and popped 20 home runs in 2023. His numbers in 2024 were amazing (.900 OPS), but that was in only 104 plate appearances, including Arizona Complex League.
Spring will give him a chance to showcase how much closer to MLB ready he is, even potentially giving the front office a tougher decision to make.
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