The Diamondbacks look as if they will be able to score runs and close out games. The lineup is thick and the bullpen is deep. It also appears clear manager Chip Hale's upbeat style fits, and he will get the most out of his roster.
Nonetheless, as for every team this time of the year, questions remain.
How the D-backs answer them could go a long way in determining how close they come to 82-80, the record chief baseball officer Tony La Russa set his sites on at the general manager meetings.
All reports are positive. Hale brings an infectious enthusiasm and a full-day's supply of energy to his first managerial position, and the players notice. He seems to relate well with players and his positive reinforcement is well-received. Hale apprenticed under two of the best, Bob Melvin and Terry Collins, and seemed to thrive in his first spring as the boss.
That, of course, is the issue No. 1. Pitching wins. With their offseason focus on adding arms, the D-backs will break in a basically brand new group. No. 1 starter Josh Collmenter showed extremely well in the second half of 2014, and Chase Anderson tied for the NL rookie lead with nine victories. Rubby De La Rosa has great stuff that occasionally wanders. Jeremy Hellickson is season removed from elbow surgery. Archie Bradley is in his first go-round. The potential is there but it is the area of greatest uncertainty.
If the D-backs hit La Russa's goal, it would be an 18-game improvement. The 2011 team improved by 29 games, so there's that. Given health and decent pitching, a winning record does not seem out of the question. Only Texas lost more time to injuries last year than the D-backs. "Just because we might have struggled last year, you don't need to handicap us as a team not capable of playing good baseball," Mark Trumbo said. "As I've seen so far, we're going to battle."
The D-backs believe Tomas can hit in the major leagues, but the transition to third base did not go well this spring. His best shot to return probably is as an outfielder, but the D-backs are loaded there. They did not spend $68.5 million on Tomas to keep him in Reno, of course, but the current roster composition makes it hard to find at-bats for him. It may take a trade or an injury to open playing time.
It sure looked that way in spring. After an adjustment in which D-backs coaches moved Ahmed's hands closer to his body, he ended with a flourish, finishing the exhibition season at .311 with six doubles and five RBI. His glove will keep him in the lineup if his spring stroke proves workable.
Yes, yes they can. The D-backs lost 1,147 player games to injury last year, with expected key contributors Paul Goldschmidt, Patrick Corbin, Mark Trumbo, A.J. Pollock, Chris Owings and David Hernandez all missing at least two months. There surely is a formula out there to determine the probability of that happening again. But let's just assume it will not.
Tommy John surgery has proven successful more times than not, though each case is different. Daniel Hudson (two elbow surgeries) and Andrew Chafin (one) made it all the way back and there is no reason to suspect Corbin, Hernandez and Arroyo won't. Corbin is expected back in June, and he will not be overloaded when he returns. Hernandez could be back in May; Arroyo probably after the All-Star break.
Bradley has the stuff, and so does left-hander Robbie Ray, whose fastball touched 97 mph in spring training. Bradley made the team because he showed command of his off-speed stuff, the next step for Ray. De La Rosa throws plenty hard, hitting 99 mph at times, but will not take the next step until he throws more strikes.
Pollock has taken positive steps every year, and he was coming into his own before suffering a fractured left hand on May 31. Pollock drives the ball in the gaps, steals bases and covers a lot of ground. With health, he could have a breakout year.
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