2020 D-Backs season preview: Winter spending spree puts Arizona in playoff hunt
The Arizona Diamondbacks traded Paul Goldschmidt and Zack Greinke, yet they still made a surprising push for the NL wild card last season. Now there's excitement around the team.
Adding established veterans Madison Bumgarner, Starling Marte, and Kole Calhoun should give the Snakes a legitimate shot at returning to the postseason for the first time since 2017. However, winning the NL West remains tricky, with the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers and ever-improving San Diego Padres contending for the same prize.
If Arizona intends to make the playoffs, it'll need repeat performances from Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar after they were two of the NL's best offensive players a season ago. Marte broke out in a big way, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting, while Escobar established himself as one of the league's top run producers.
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 85-77 (2nd in NL West)
Payroll: $147,255,833
Projected record: 31-29 (2nd)
World Series odds: +4000
3-year trend: 2017 (2nd); 2018 (3rd); 2019 (2nd)
Key addition: Madison Bumgarner
Key subtraction: Adam Jones
Highest projected WAR: Ketel Marte (1.5)
X-factor: Starling Marte
Prospect to watch: Daulton Varsho
Winter report card: A
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starling Marte | CF | 1.0 |
| 2 | Ketel Marte (S) | 2B | 1.5 |
| 3 | Eduardo Escobar (S) | 3B | 0.8 |
| 4 | David Peralta (L) | LF | 0.6 |
| 5 | Christian Walker | 1B | 0.3 |
| 6 | Kole Calhoun (L) | RF | 0.4 |
| 7 | Nick Ahmed | SS | 0.5 |
| 8 | Jake Lamb (L) | DH | 0.2 |
| 9 | Carson Kelly | C | 0.7 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Vogt (L) | C | 0.1 |
| Kevin Cron | IF | 0.1 |
| Ildemaro Vargas (S) | IF/OF | 0.0 |
| Jon Jay (L) | OF | 0.0 |
| Tim Locastro | OF | 0.0 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
Torey Lovullo's club fielded one of the top defensive units in baseball last season, but Arizona was middle of the pack or worse in several offensive categories, including runs (11th), homers (18th), and team wRC+ (16th).
Adding Starling Marte and Calhoun should give the D-Backs more punch. Lamb is also an X-factor coming into 2020, as he's been hitting like his old self after two injury-plagued seasons.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Bumgarner | L | 4.70 |
| Robbie Ray | L | 4.32 |
| Luke Weaver | R | 4.41 |
| Zac Gallen | R | 4.29 |
| Merrill Kelly | R | 4.97 |
Bumgarner is an established ace with a track record of playoff success, should the D-Backs make it that far. Behind him is strikeout artist Ray - who has logged three consecutive seasons with a 12.0 or greater K/9 - and an interesting mix of unproven talent in Weaver, Gallen, and Kelly. The latter replaces Mike Leake in the rotation, who opted out of the 2020 campaign.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Archie Bradley | R | 4.13 |
| Junior Guerra | R | 4.67 |
| Andrew Chafin | L | 3.73 |
| Hector Rondon | R | 4.30 |
| Kevin Ginkel | R | 4.02 |
| Yoan Lopez | R | 4.65 |
| Stefan Crichton | R | 4.20 |
| Jon Duplantier | R | 4.37 |
| Alex Young | L | 4.64 |
| Taylor Clarke | R | 5.02 |
| Joel Payamps | R | 4.36 |
For the first time in his career, Bradley enters a season entrenched as the D-Backs closer after converting 18 of 21 opportunities last campaign. If he stumbles, new addition and former closer Rondon should be able to pick up the pieces for a bullpen that looks similar to the one that ranked 12th in ERA and 14th in FIP in 2019.
Key injuries/Absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Leake | SP | Opted out of season |
| Silvino Bracho | RP | Tommy John |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)