Jack Magruder's Twitter provides a pair of roster updates for the D-backs this morning.
First, the probably unsurprising news that infielder Geoff Blum's knees will keep him off of the team's Opening Day Roster, according to Magruder's talks with manager Kirk Gibson. Blum will begin the year on the Disabled List, likely meaning that Ryan Roberts' odds of opening 2011 with the club just significantly increased. Blum hopes to be active for the team's first homestand, but given his age and the details of his injury, I wouldn't start penning him into your home opener lineup just yet.
Second, Magruder says that Armando Galarraga has been given the team's fifth starter job, despite recent rumblings before Aaron Heilman's most recent outing that they were leaning towards putting Galarraga in the bullpen. Neither Heilman nor Galarraga had a good Spring Training, but it looks like Galarraga saved his "best" outing for a good time, though his 2:0 K:BB ratio in that outing earns a fair share of skepticism about that outing from me, and, consequently, that pair of quotation marks. Heilman will be moved back to the bullpen, though of course we'll simply have to see if he stays there throughout the entire season. It'll also be interesting to follow how he performs back in a relief role after losing the competition for the starting job.
[UPDATED]
More news coming out, beginning with a message from Ken Rosenthal that confirms what many of us suspected: Tony Abreu is not going to be on the D-backs' Opening Day Roster. Unfortunately, it appears as if trade interest in Abreu was minimal, as Rosenthal says that our young infielder has been put on waivers - I imagine that these are unconditional waivers, meaning that any team can swoop in and grab him at a nominal cost as long as they're willing to add him to their 25-man roster. If not, Arizona can send him to the minor leagues, and I believe that means that the D-backs can outright him off of the 40-man roster as well if they choose to (don't hold me to that, though). It'll be interesting to see if the team subsequently decides to do anything with that 40-man roster spot should they free it up.
Another tweet from Magruder states that Ryan Roberts is now a lock to make the Opening Day Roster due to Geoff Blum's injury and Tony Abreu's waivers. Now that Roberts will get another chance to show what he can do at the big-league level, it'll be interesting to see what the team does when Geoff Blum is healthy again - do they send him on an extended rehab assignment a la Eric Byrnes in order to delay his return to the major leagues and delay any roster decisions? Do they carry two utility infielders in Blum and Roberts as well as super-utility man Willie Bloomquist? Not sure how that's going to work out, particularly if Roberts is impressive in the early-going.
Now, let's check up on Nick P's twitter, which has a pair of reports for today. First, he confirms that right-hander Carlos Rosa is headed to Japan - might as well get some cash for him since he's out of options and not making the team. I wonder why Abreu couldn't get sold there - no interest, even from Japanese clubs? Additionally, Nick reports that the D-backs apparently are not going to sign infielder Kevin Frandsen. No explanation is offered as to why the deal fell through.