PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks will welcome a youth movement in 2015.
Manager Chip Hale on Friday named Nick Ahmed, 25, his starting shortstop, which means Chris Owings, 23, will start at second base. The announcement followed Thursday's trade of pitcher Trevor Cahill to the Atlanta Braves, which opened a spot in the rotation for heralded prospect Archie Bradley, 22.
"I think we're ready to move on and move with a younger group," Hale said before Friday's exhibition game against the Cubs at Chase Field. "Archie will be our fifth starter. That was another performance-based deal where we feel Cahill has had a good spring for us. I've already been quoted in the coaches room where I think he could be a comeback player of the year, but we feel like Archie is ready to go. And we're going to move on to the youth and turn our team over to them -- same thing in the middle of the infield. We feel like that guys are ready to go and we're going to give them a shot."
Doing so puts a few well-paid veterans in bench roles.
Former starting second baseman Aaron Hill is due $12 million this year and next but he will come off the bench and be used as an occasional starter at second and third, Hale said. In the outfield, it's already been decided that Cody Ross, who will make $9.5 million this year and has a team option for next season, will play as a pinch hitter and occasional starter against left-handers.
Bradley arguably had the biggest reason to be surprised. When the rotation was named Monday, he was set to pack his bag for another minor league go-round.
"It still hasn't really set in," Bradley said Friday. "It's been a dream come true. Obviously, a lot of work left to do but just to make the team is incredible.
"Coming in, I kind of felt like I was on the outside looking in, which I was OK with. I struggled last year, didn't have a very good year and I came in with almost a chip on my shoulder -- still have it. I wanted to prove that I was ready to pitch here and I felt like I did that for the most part this spring."
Bradley pitched 22-1/3 innings and finished with a 1.61 ERA.
Ahmed, already proven as a major league shortstop, answered questions about his swing with a .328/.350/.431 slash line during Cactus League play.
"I heard (retired Yankee Derek) Jeter say something cool last year, in his last year, he just came into spring training trying to earn a job," Ahmed said.
The decision to start Ahmed moves the former shortstop Owings to second, where he said he's comfortable. Coming off shoulder injury, Owings began playing in the middle of spring. He is hitting .244 in 41 at-bats during spring training and had a .261 average in 91 games last season. The shoulder injury forced Owings to reform the follow-through on his swing, but he finds himself in a good place health-wise.
"I was kind of worried about it in January, February," the 23-year-old said. "The trainers just kept telling me to trust it."
The pieces are nearly in place a day before the Diamondbacks must make their final roster decisions. Here's what's left to decide:
-- A final reliever must be chosen between left-handers Robbie Ray, Andrew Chafin and Vidal Nuno and hard-throwing right-hander Enrique Burgos. Burgos is the only true reliever, as the other three have been starters most if not all of their careers.
-- The team likely will carry only one backup catcher behind starter Tuffy Gosewisch, Hale said. Rule 5 pick Oscar Hernandez will start the season on the disabled list and is expected to return May 25, Hale said. At that point the team will need to make another decision. Gerald Laird, Blake Lalli and Jordan Pacheco remained on the roster as of Friday afternoon.
-- Even the D-backs include only two catchers on the 25-man roster, room for Yasmany Tomas is running out. Jake Lamb seems to have a leg up on Yasmany Tomas in the fight for the third base job, and Hale added to the notion the team will need defense first.
"We feel like with that defense in the infield, it makes us a much better team, especially here at Chase where the ball gets through the infield quickly," Hale said. "We've put (Tomas) in the outfield a little bit now, and we're looking at him more playing other positions."
The decision about whether Tomas starts the season in the minor leagues or not very well could depend on whether the team can find him enough at-bats if he doesn't play third.
But playing Tomas in the outfield finds the D-backs at another road block. Hale sees three outfield spots and four worthy starters in Mark Trumbo, A.J. Pollock, David Peralta and Ender Inciarte. Additionally, Ross is viewed as a valuable pinch hitter.
That Hale worries about a more proven player like Inciarte getting enough at-bats says a bit about where Tomas can fit in, though Hale also believes the Cuban would be capable of succeding with inconsistent plate appearances.
Teams must make their final cuts by Sunday.
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