Let’s get straight to what it all means.
Both Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson made up the team
General manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo raised the possibility of both right-handers making the team a few days ago, and that’s actually what happened.
Nelson will be the No. 5 starter, with Jameson jumping out of the bullpen first.
“[Nelson] was very good for us last year,” Hazen said of what separated the two. “So when it came down to the games and they were real, he did a really good job. We thought he got better as we went through the spring. It was a bit bumpy at the beginning but we felt he was improving all the time and that will be his chance and hopefully he’ll deal with it.”
However, Jameson was also impressive and earned a spot.
“Knowing where the pitch matters [for starters] will be, [it] I felt it was an advantage to have a tall guy in the stable who could give us some length,” said Hazen. “Look, we felt like he was one of our top 13 pitchers and at the end of the day we just made that decision.”
Jameson is a helper at present
Just because he opens the season in the bullpen doesn’t rule out the possibility that Jameson will start this year or in the future. The D-Backs will look to stretch him out early in the season and pitch several innings so he can get into the rotation if needed.
Jameson has what it takes to be a late-inning reliever, so it might turn out that he plays so well in that role that he stays in it like Archie Bradley did in 2017. But that remains to be seen.
“We pay attention to what he brings to the table and what we look for in our pen, and he has what it takes,” Hazen said. “He also has what it takes as a starting pitcher.”
Kyle Lewis has been raking full throttle this spring
The D-Backs are very fond of Smith, and he was their only true backup first baseman. He also had a very nice pen, but Lewis’ performance was too good to ignore.
Another factor is that Arizona will see a number of left-handed starters early in the season, and Lewis allows them to use a right-handed batter in the designated hitter spot.
“He had an incredible spring,” said Hazen. “I think we’re going to get a lot of left-handers out of the chute depending on how we think the rotations stack up against us. I find [his] Element of power is something we talked about that doesn’t necessarily exist, and it can represent that for us in many ways.
The backup catcher role is not yet determined
Higgins’ reassignment appears to mean Jose Herrera will take on the role of back-up catcher, but Hazen said there were other “balls in the air”.
Hazen declined to say what that meant, but it’s possible the D-Backs might be interested in a catcher they know will be forfeited or forfeited. Perhaps a catcher will be chosen for the assignment and the club feel they could work out a deal for him.
The same applies to the last bullpen spot
Right now, the only two assists still fighting for a spot are right-handers Ryan Hendrix and Carlos Vargas, and there’s one spot left in the bullpen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be either of those two.
“There’s a lot going on externally at this time of year, and we can at least keep track of it,” said Hazen.