5 Bold Predictions for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Spring Training

5. Bradley cracks Opening Day roster

Greinke, Shelby Miller and Patrick Corbin are all locks to pitch out of the rotation this year. Rubby De La Rosa led the Diamondbacks with 14 wins last year, but his peripheral numbers were not very good (4.81 FIP, 1.36 WHIP, 2.38 K:BB).

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Assuming he has a strong enough spring, that should leave Robbie Ray and 2011 seventh overall pick Archie Bradley scrapping for the final rotation spot. The D-backs have a lot more invested in Bradley than they do Ray, acquiring him in 2014 from the Detroit Tigers in a three-way trade that saw them part ways with SS Didi Gregorius.

Ray was better than his 5-12 record suggested in 2015. For pitchers with over 100 IP, he led Arizona with a 3.53 FIP and a 3.52 ERA. If anyone stumbles in Spring Training, it will likely be De La Rosa. If so, that should open the fifth spot up for Bradley.

He’s started only eight games at the Major League level, all of them coming last season. The results weren’t impressive, but Bradley was strong in four 2015 Triple-A starts, posting a 2.95 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 21.1 IP. If he doesn’t crack the Opening Day rotation, manager Chip Hale will likely groom him for starts later in the season as a long relief arm out of the bullpen.

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