The Diamondbacks focused on acquiring hard-throwing relievers in the off-season, a strategy that has paid dividends in spring training.
The new rules being rolled out by MLB this season has certainly be scrutinized, but MLB insider Bob Nightengale explains why it should result in a better product on the field.At the end of last season, Brent Strom had a request for the Arizona Diamondbacks front office: Find me more power arms.
The stats backed that up. In an era of ever-increasing velocity and subsequently booming strikeout rates, Diamondbacks relievers struck out a league-worst 7.71 batters per nine innings. That would have been below the major league average in 2009. In 2022, it tied one hand behind Lovullo and Strom’s backs.
“At the end of the year, we have conversations about some of the needs and does a great job of listening to what we talk about from the dugout level,” Lovullo said.General manager Mike Hazen did not splash out on any high-money bullpen signings. He did not trade valuable pieces for relievers, either. Their most notable bullpen acquisition was Andrew Chafin, who averaged 91.6 mph on his four-seam fastball. Finesse pitchers like Mark Melancon and Joe Mantiply still figure to have sizeable roles.
In one of those outings, against the Guardians last week, Martinez showed the Diamondbacks what they missed out on last year. “Some guys pitch at 90%, some guys pitch at 95%,” Carlson said. “To pitch at 100%, that's almost like redlining a car. You're on the extreme all the time, that's difficult.”
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