Here’s what to watch for, as the Arizona Diamondbacks head to spring training …
Catchers:
Four catchers will be in camp, with roles unchanged from one year ago. Matt Hanson (’22 All Star and Silver Slugger) is the unquestioned starter. Adley Rutschman will be the backup and Blake Hunt looks to make an impression. Prospect Antonio Cabello is a non-roster invitee to provide defensive depth and will start the season at AA-Mobile. Don’t look for any surprises here.
Infielders:
Twelve players are projected to see time in the infield, including three non-roster invitees. Among the regulars, Vlad Guerrero Jr is expected to get some time at 1B. Watch to see if non-roster prospects Ronnie Mauricio (natural SS who will also see time at 1B), Dante Dinozzo (1B and 3B), and Corey Weems (2B) make an impression.
Outfielders:
Nine outfielders are in camp, along with two infielders who will see some time out there. Among the regulars, Vlad Guerrero Jr will see time in RF to help fill-in for the loss of Bryce Harper to free agency, while Nico Hoerner looks to continue his shift to LF. Also keep an eye on newcomer RF Norm Rolli’s progress at the plate. Late-signee RF Dave Jackson will look to earn a spot on the bench, but will have plenty of competition among CF Shilo Sanders, RF Rodney Scott, LF Mike Wiley, and LF Connor Scott.
Starting Pitchers:
Regulars Andrew Morales, Lance McCullers, Jeffrey Stone, and Shohei Ohtani will likely get five starts each to get into shape, with Ohtani also getting at-bats at DH. The remaining starts will be divided among the contestants for the fifth starter slot: frontrunner Ethan Hankins, dark horse Emilio Salazar, and swing-man Matt Manning, along with lefty Fred Brown and non-roster invitees Matt Cavanaugh and Slade Cecconi. Cecconi and Brown will get the starts against the St Lucie Mets.
Relief Pitchers:
Seventeen relievers will be in camp, though two of them (Manning and Salazar) might get all of their innings in the rotation. The team currently expects to have eight relievers on the opening day roster, with most of the incumbents returning from last year’s World Series squad, so it is unclear whether anyone is actually auditioning for a job at this point. Watch for whether Gregg Marmaro and/or non-roster invitee Garret Price make an impression.
