Another spring of Cactus League baseball and we have our 2015 Arizona Diamondbacks. The departure of Aaron Hill made a $6.8 million hole in the roster, but warm-body types like Blake DeWitt are happy to fill in. The long term infield solution might look completely different, with Yasmany Tomas looking like he will either start at 3B or get sent to the minors. Ultimately he may be sent to the outfield and Jake Lamb will be given an opportunity to grab the hot corner. Luis Sardinas is also looking like someone who could be an MLB mainstay at 2B with Chris Owings holding down SS, but for this season he's starting off in Reno.
The real problem for 2015 is behind the plate, the team's only options are John Baker and Rule 5 draft selection Oscar Hernandez, who broke a hamate bone recently. Unless Arizona rushes drool-inducing catching prospect Pete O'Brien, there is going to be an offensive black hole behind the plate. While all of these issues look bad, it's fairly obvious the Diamondbacks are not in a position to compete for anything this year and won't be making any drastic moves to change that fact.
Arizona Diamondbacks Depth Chart - 2015
- Catcher
- J. Baker
- First Base
- P. Goldschmidt
- L. Overbay
- Second Base
- O. Infante
- C. Owings
- Third Base
- J. Lamb
- B. DeWitt
- Shortstop
- C. Owings
- J.J. Hardy
- Left Field
- M. Krauss
- Center Field
- E. Inciarte
- T. Gwynn Jr.
- Right Field
- D. Peralta
- Starting Pitcher
- G. Gonzalez
- M. Cain
- M. Bolsinger
- T. Cahill
- J. Johnson
- Relief Pitcher
- A. Torres
- M. Reynolds
- K. Slowey
- E. De La Rosa
- C. Thielbar
- F. Cordero
- Closer
- J. Soria
- J. Johnson
- Designated Hitter
- J.J. Hardy
- Disabled List
- P. Corbin
- O. Hernandez
- T. Campana
With the depth chart in place and the season set to begin there are only a few subjects that will dominate team coverage this year. Conversation will probably be dominated by Paul Goldschmidt's run at NL MVP, but you can only talk about how good one player is for so long until things start to get stale.
Patrick Corbin (Again) - Attention turns back to Patrick Corbin, but this time it's going to be about his recovery from Tommy John surgery. With just about everyone from the 2014 rotation gone and Gio Gonzalez firmly seated in the Ace position, it's up to Corbin to show that he can get back to his 2013 form. There won't be much for the Diamondbacks faithful to worry about this season, the team could be one of the worst in the NL if not all of baseball, so Corbin is going to be the center of attention when he is scheduled to come back around mid-season. Sources say management dangled Corbin during the winter meetings, but few offers rolled in that interested ownership. If Corbin can't make a comeback, they will have lost out on any potential returns.
Can Corbin make an impact in 2015?
Yasmany Tomas - The Cuban slugger has been compared to Jose Abreu and Red Sox signing Rusney Castillo, but in reality nobody really knows what Tomas is going to do in his first major league season. Modest projections have him as a 25HR slugger with some work to do in terms of his plate discipline, and his defense is a real question mark. He played 3B and LF during spring training, with the team settling on 3B to start the season, but most are just hoping he is league average as a defender. It's going to take the entire season for Arizona to see if they have the next Yasiel Puig, or if they are stuck with a dud for the next six years. As of right now the 24-year old slugger is the Diamondbacks' best 'prospect' to speak of, but he needs to be more than a prospect if the team starts him out in the majors.
Tomas will likely start the season in Reno.
Prospects, Prospects, Prospects - Fans of minor league baseball in Reno and Mobile are probably more excited than Diamondback fans at the moment, and they might just have better teams to cheer on. The mass exodus of MLB starters filled up the Arizona affiliates with potential future stars, but at the moment all they are is potential. Guys like Jesse Winker and Austin Meadows are sure to draw fans and scouts alike, but they are not going to be called up to The Show anytime soon. A terrible season in the majors might bring more talent through the draft, like RHP Touki Toussaint, but they don't hang banners for high draft picks.
The Diamondbacks' new marque prospect.
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