Snake Bytes 3/16: Two Weeks

Diamondbacks News:

[SI] Who could the next D-back to receive a long term extension ?

Ken Kendrick and Derrick Hall have challenged Mike Hazen and the front office to invest more in this core, and we’re seeing who they’ve chose to invest in. In the past two years, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Merrill Kelly, Ketel Marte, and Corbin Carroll to contract extensions.

[DNVR] Rockies podcast: How the Arizona Diamondbacks rebounded to relevance w/ NL Rookie of the Year favorite Corbin Carroll

DNVR Rockies Podcast is joined by Jesse Friedman of PHNX Diamondbacks to discuss how GM Mike Hazen assembled such a great farm system and how far behind Rockies are from matching this talent.

[SI] It’s crunch time for Diamondbacks spring competition

Hazen and Lovullo still have some very difficult decisions to make, and it does not feel like there is significantly more clarity than when training camp opened. I’m sure the team is closer than they were, but as yet the club has not tipped their hand on any of these spring battles.

[AZC] New power arms showing Arizona what they missed last year

At the end of last season, Brent Strom had a request for the Arizona Diamondbacks front office: Find me more power arms.

A year earlier, Strom had arrived from Houston hailed as a pitching coach savant. In year one, he delivered on that promise when it came to the starting rotation. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly had the best seasons of their careers, and the rotation’s ERA as a whole dropped from 5.20 to 4.05.

[AZC] Madison Bumgarner hoping ‘sharper’ cutter is here to stay

Bumgarner seemed most excited about the action he was getting on his cutter. Earlier in the week, he adjusted the way he gripped the pitch, trying it out in a bullpen session. Friday was his first opportunity to use it against hitters. They were not all sharp, but many of the ones that were elicited off-balance swings and misses.

Baseball News:

[MLB]Freeman (hamstring) exits Classic, returns to Dodgers camp

Despite losing Freeman for the rest of the tournament, Canada controls its own destiny in Pool C and hopes to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. A dearth of experienced options but an abundance of young talent has emerged for a Canadian squad that boasts the most Top 30 Prospects, per MLB Pipeline, of any team in the 2023 Classic.

[MLB]Nicaragua pitcher strikes out MLB stars, signs with Tigers

Duque Hebbert was sitting in the bullpen when the phone rang. Once he heard his name called, Hebbert knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

What he didn’t know, however, was who he was set to face in the top of the ninth. The Dominican Republic had the top of its order due up, which meant Hebbert was about to experience facing Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Manny Machado, three of the biggest stars in the Majors.

[MLB] Projected opening day lineups, rotations for every team

With Opening Day less than three weeks away, here’s how each club’s lineup and starting rotation are projected to look when the season gets under way on March 30.