MESA — The Arizona Diamondbacks’ depth was pressed to an extreme degree early last season.
By the fourth week of April 2024, Arizona had lost starters Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez, outfielder Alek Thomas, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and top prospect Jordan Lawlar to months-long injuries while closer Paul Sewald had not yet pitched.
Adversity in baseball in unavoidable, especially when it comes to pitching. General manager Mike Hazen said at the start of spring training he may be 0 for 25 entering camp with a rotation and starting the season with the same group.
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Depth is a main focus during this point on the calendar.
Arizona’s roster looks in many ways similar entering 2025, notably minus Christian Walker and Joc Pederson but plus Corbin Burnes and Josh Naylor. Continued development for not only the Diamondbacks’ youthful stalwarts like Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno but the young talent under that tier could set the Diamondbacks up with more depth to withstand trouble.
“I love the depth of this ballclub,” manager Torey Lovullo said on Tuesday. “We were up against it a little bit with the injury of Perdomo and Lawlar. Thank goodness for Kevin Newman stepping in. But I think we thought about that long and hard this offseason, like we need some quality infield depth.
“Our front office does a good job of this. They don’t sit still … we don’t want to take a step backwards and we don’t want to put guys in the wrong position. We want there to be a certain standard when it comes to defense.”
Since camp began, the front office looked at the bullpen as an area in need of some protection and signed Kendall Graveman and invite non-roster invitee Shelby Miller.
Infielder Blaze Alexander suffered an oblique strain last week, and the Diamondbacks will continue to evaluate their utility role such as Garrett Hampson, Grae Kessinger and Ildemaro Vargas. And the work is not over.
“Our job is to continue to try to look down the road a little bit from a depth standpoint at this time of year,” Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke last week. “Where are the areas of the roster we need to protect? More often than not, it comes down to bullpen. Most years, starting pitching. That’s obviously not the case for us this year necessarily. Again, hopefully we get through spring healthy, but it’s more so in the bullpen and the bench and the options we might have in Triple-A as we take on injuries during the year.
“So that involves the development of the young players here in camp, watching them, who could be ready, whether it’s on Opening Day or be ready as we move into the season.”
Diamondbacks continue to compete in camp
The rotation is in a rare and ideal spot as Arizona figures out its five out of a deeper pool. Lovullo has emphasized their starting depth goes beyond the popular seven names for the rotation — Zac Gallen, Burnes, Kelly, Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, Jordan Montgomery and Ryne Nelson.
There is Tommy Henry, Yilber Diaz, Blake Walston and Cristian Mena to round out the group, presumably in Triple-A. They all have important seasons ahead considering Gallen, Kelly and Montgomery enter the final year of their respective contracts — which doesn’t mean they cannot come back.
The Diamondbacks also have decisions to make regarding closer, backup catcher, utility infielder and starting center fielder between Jake McCarthy and Thomas, creating a level of internal competition that is seen as a benefit.
Lovullo met with each player individually and has been open about the position they are in.
“It was nothing but honesty. You talk about the black and the white,” Lovullo said. “I believe in living in that space and just tell them it’s very uncertain. … I’m not here to (expletive) you. This is what’s really happening. Now, go out there and take care of your business.”
Diamondbacks’ development improves roster depth
Arizona made trades for veteran talent like Naylor this offseason and Eugenio Suarez last winter without dumping significant prospect packages. At the same time, a new group of younger players has stepped in.
Reliever Justin Martinez and catcher Adrian Del Castillo did not make the Opening Day roster nor were really considered for it last spring but made notable contributions, especially Martinez. Lawlar is expected to contribute when the time is right, a potential significant add as someone considered a top-shelf prospect in baseball.
The wave of Arizona’s young core crested in 2021-22, headlined by Carroll’s debut. That group of players are now entering another phase of their careers, no longer rookies but still young players expected to progress.
Players on the active roster 25 years old or younger include Carroll, Moreno, Perdomo, Thomas, Martinez, Alexander, Del Castillo, Lawlar, Jorge Barrosa, Diaz and Mena.
“We always talk about this when you look at the projections of where we’re supposed to finish, and obviously we’re supposed to finish way behind the Dodgers and that is what it is,” Hazen said.
“The untapped part of that projection is when it clicks for some of the younger kids. … There is built in some upside to it, but for the most part, it’s like the history of what they’ve done. And if they take a leap forward, then that’s where the untapped wins and that projection come from.
“I do think with a younger team, there’s an energy about a younger team. These kids want to impress. They want to show you what they can do. They want to establish themselves in their careers and so I think that’s where some of the energy comes from in spring training.”
Is the Diamondbacks’ roster deeper than last year?
So, let’s go through it.
Is the lineup deeper? That’s a tough ask considering the departures of Walker and Pederson.
Carroll and Suarez building off sterling second half performances would do wonders, as would another healthy season for Ketel Marte. There will be more of a spotlight on Pavin Smith to help fill in for Pederson, although the Diamondbacks have alternative options available.
Is the rotation deeper? Unquestionably yes.
Is the bullpen deeper? Probably. Bullpens are hard to decipher. The emergence of Puk and Martinez last year along with the return of Drey Jameson and potential conversion of a starter who does not make the rotation can lift the ceiling of this group.
Raising the floor of the middle relief/lower leverage arms can help keep games close and open comeback opportunities.
“I feel like you can never have enough depth when it comes to pitching in general,” reliever Joe Mantiply said. “You hope nobody ever gets injured. But the longer you play this game, you see that it’s kind of unavoidable at times. And so having a depth for that is huge.”
Arizona’s rotation should help eat more innings and put less pressure on the bullpen.
Overall, depth will continue to be top of mind for decision-makers as Opening Day nears, but what remains most helpful is continuing to see strides from younger players yet to establish themselves and roster health.
“I think this team is looking pretty good,” Perdomo said. “The most important thing we need is to be healthy. If we are healthy, I think we can do damage.”
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