MLB Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks

2011 Recap
After going an NL West-worst 65-97 in 2010, the Diamondbacks were able to turn it around under manager Kirk Gibson in his first full season at the helm in Arizona, going 94-68 and winning the NL West crown.  The starting rotation was surprisingly strong, as Ian Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA) and Daniel Hudson (16-12, 3.49 ERA) both had career years, while Joe Saunders (12-12, 3.58 ERA) was his usual solid self. Offensively, the team was led by RF Justin Upton (.289/.369/.529, 31 HR, 21 SB) and C Miguel Montero (.282/.351/.469, 18 HR, 86 RBI), and also got significant contributions from LF Gerardo Parra (.292, 8 HR, 46 RBI), OF Willie Bloomquist (.266, 20 SB) and 2B/3B Ryan Roberts (19 HR, 18 SB, 86 runs).

New Arrivals
RHP Trevor Cahill (trade w/OAK)
LHP Craig Breslow (trade w/OAK)
RHP Takashi Saito (free agent)
OF Jason Kubel (free agent)
Cahill is likely going to be the #3 starter for Arizona, as he finished last season with a 12-14 with a 4.16 ERA. Breslow will be the lefty specialist for the D-Backs, while Saito is probably looking at a seventh inning role. Kubel will add another solid bat in the outfield for Arizona, as he's averaged over 20 home runs a year since 2008, and could potentially flex over to first base in a pinch.

Prospect to Watch: RHP Trevor Bauer
The #3 pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, Bauer has three solid-to-plus pitches (4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, curveball), and can run his four-seamer up to 97 mph. He endured quite a heavy workload at UCLA, topping 125 pitches 10 times, so it's entirely possible they keep him limited to around about 150 innings pitched this season. The team is pretty well set for starters, as the addition of Cahill as the likely #3 starter has seemingly solidified their rotation, but Bauer should be no worse than a September call-up, and could easily land a long-relief/spot-starting role by mid-season should there be injuries or struggles.

2012 Outlook
The Diamondbacks have a lot of young talent on the team, and added two significant players this offseason with the additions of Cahill and Kubel. With Stephen Drew returning from a broken ankle that limited him to just 86 games in 2011, as well a solid lineup from top to bottom, Arizona should again contend with the Giants for the NL West pennant.