With everyone on the Diamondbacks having all reported to spring training and their first game being on February 22nd, the question still remains. What else can the Diamondbacks do to improve their roster before Opening Day?

Don’t get it all mixed up, they’ve already improved their roster immensely by adding a solid 3rd baseman and power-hitter in Eugenio Suarez with lefty Eduardo Rodriguez joining in on the Dbacks right-handed heavy rotation and so on, but is there anything else they can do? The answer to that is that there possibly is.

With the addition of left-handed hitter Joc Pederson, the Snakes were also looking to platoon Pederson with a right-handed hitter considering that Pederson’s stats against left-handed pitching aren’t the greatest. Who did they get to fix this? Randal Grichuk, a 31-year-old right-handed hitter who, in 2023, had a .267 batting average with 16 homers overall.

But what really caught the Dbacks’ eye was his stats against left-handed pitchers where he boasts a .328 batting average and 8 homers with a .388 on-base percentage. Now with the lineup being seen as set, should Hazen try and make a few more moves? Maybe bolster the bullpen? He could make at least one more move in trading outfielder Jake McCarthy while his value is still somewhat high.

In a plethora of outfielders, McCarthy is seen as the odd man out. So it would seem to make sense that Jake would be traded for either a prospect or a bullpen piece, but his future could depend on how this spring training goes.

His time here in Arizona is limited, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Diamondbacks decided to send him off to another team by the deadline in a trade package for a potential all-star caliber player. As of right now, the Dbacks spring roster seems to be set, and we already have an idea of what the Opening Day lineup would look like with guys like Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Christian Walker, and so forth.

However, on the pitching side of things, it could get a bit tricky. We already know that the main four Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt will be locked in the rotation. What is uncertain though is the fifth starting spot. It will most likely be a battle between the righty Ryne Nelson and the lefty Tommy Henry.

The bullpen though, is where things get a bit more complex. The trio of Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel, and Ryan Thompson are certainly set to be in the rotation. Guys like Andrew Saalfrank, Slade Cecconi, and Bryce Jarvis are looking to make a mark to make the Opening Day roster as a part of the bullpen.

One thing is for certain though, with the help of that huge run to make the World Series, the Snakes are ready to rattle up the competition again, and it’s only a matter of time before they get hot. One thing we’ve learned over the course of last season when the Snakes get hot, they can’t be stopped.