Arizona Diamondbacks make eight roster moves

Optioned to Triple-A Reno:

• RHP Jake Barrett
• LHP Jared Miller

Reassigned to Minor League camp:

• RHP Ryan Atkinson
• RHP Taylor Clarke
• INF Kevin Cron
• LHP Yuhei Nakaushiro
• C Michael Perez
• RHP Taylor Widener

These aren’t quite the first roster moves of spring - infielder Domingo Leyba was optioned to Double-A Jackson on March 6. But there are definitely some more major names here, especially considering how relatively early we are in spring training, with almost three weeks until Opening Day. Barrett (above) appeared in 68 games during the 2016 campaign, and a further 28 last year, but only had a 6:5 K:BB this spring. Earlier this winter Miller was considered by many to be a strong contender for a bullpen spot. However, the team’s trawling of veteran free-agents suggest that they’re going for experience, though it still would not surprise me to see him in the majors at some point this season.

Clarke is another name we might see, giving our lack of starting pitching depth, and Nakaushiro was one of the candidates for a left-handed relief role. However, he was always a bit of a long shot, and his spring performances didn’t make much of an impression, allowing six hits and two walks with no strikeouts in three innings. The same goes for Cron, who had hit .167 (5-for-30) with eight strikeouts and only one walk, though had hit a pair of home-runs. After these cuts, the Diamondbacks now have 51 players left in camp, so there’ll be plenty more where this came from.