Pitchers and catchers report next month. It's cool to be able to say this, and know winter will soon be over. Seems like a lot shorter off-season this year. Wonder if that's perhaps the case when you're going through the winter as the reigning division champion? There's not quite as much urgency to get to next season, for your chance at redemption. Of course, even for the division winners, there's room for improvement, and I'm still looking forward to the Cactus League. Though remembering how badly we performed there last season (finishing dead last, with a 12-25 record), the meaningless of spring training results will be particularly clear this year...

Spring in the Air

• [AZCentral] Diamondbacks announce spring-training reporting dates, non-roster invitees - "Pitchers and catchers will report Feb. 20 with their first workout Feb. 21. Position players will report on Feb. 25 with the first full-squad workout on Feb. 26. Workouts are open to the public."
• [dbacks.com] D-backs' brass gearing up for Spring Training - Each player who will be in Major League camp was also discussed. "We went through them all," Gibson said. "We watched video clips on them and had good discussions on everybody. We're just trying to get everyone's perspective. Different people have different information, different perspectives, so we want them to share it. We're trying to get better."
• [FoxSportsArizona[ Plenty of young arms vying for D-backs rotation - "With a stocked farm system that is heavy on young pitching, the D-backs have a host of in-house candidates for the fifth spot, with Wade Miley maybe a smidge ahead of the pack entering spring training"

Prospect pulse

• [dbacks.com] D-backs' Derrick Hall holds court with fans in January Web chat - Bauer and Skaggs. "They will both receive spring starts and will pitch a number of innings as part of the competition... We need to make sure they are developed and mature enough before rushing them though, and their spring outings will determine a great deal."
• [milb.com] Prospect Q&A: Bauer gets taste of pros - "I don't work out in the weight room. I do mostly strength and conditioning stuff that's focused on moving quick and body mass. I have to generate velocity by creating tension in the body and releasing it all in sequence, getting a summation of force rather than brute strength it. All my workouts are focused on that, building up strength and fast-twitch movements.
• [Seedlings To Stars] 2012 Top 100 Prospects, #5: Tyler Skaggs - "His performance for his age in Double-A was borderline historic, and he’s at least above-average on every scouting attribute, and he could improve further due to his youth and projection."

And the rest...

• [AZ Central] Diamondbacks not interested in trading Gerardo Parra - "I'm not really motivated to move him," Towers said. "I think it's a good fit. I think Parra will still play a lot."
• [Yahoo!] Diamondbacks’ long-term talks with Miguel Montero stalling - This is also mentioned in the above story, but I figure it deserves its own acknowledgment. "Part of the problem, Towers noted, is that there haven't been a lot of long-term contracts signed in recent years for catchers so it's difficult to find a comparable to work with."
• [Diary of a Diehard] Constant Reminders of Past Mistakes- "Diamondbacks fans may have seen an outfield of Upton, Young, and Quentin/Gonzalez. We wouldn’t be wondering where that middle of the order bat is that could drive in runs.
• [dbacks.com] D-backs open to adding depth to end of starting rotation - "We're kind of just bottom-fishing, trying to buy low and hopefully catch lightening in a bottle on a guy that's maybe coming off a bad year or somebody that's left out there with no real job that sees an opportunity," Towers said.