Infielder Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws over Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies to complete a double play during the eighth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on August 24, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. /Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
By Nick Piecoro | Arizona Republic
The Diamondbacks are coming off one of their more disappointing seasons in a while, missing the postseason in a year in which more teams made it than not.
They had a quiet offseason, adding just two players on major-league contracts as, by and large, most of the team’s composition already has been decided. The rotation (barring injury) is set, and the lineup is mostly determined.
Still, with Diamondbacks’ pitchers and catchers holding their first workout on Wednesday at Salt River Fields, here are some angles to track throughout spring training.
1. Can (insert name here) bounce back?
The Diamondbacks last year went from a team expecting to contend for a playoff spot to one contending for the No. 1 overall pick. That doesn’t happen without a litany of underperformers.
From Ketel Marte to Madison Bumgarner, from Eduardo Escobar to Luke Weaver, the Diamondbacks had more than their share of struggles. They’re going to need many of those players to recover.
Spring training might not provide many answers, but it could offer clues. Will Bumgarner’s velocity recover? Will Marte’s power return? It should be worth monitoring.
