Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training: Five Battles To Watch For

BACK END OF THE ROTATION

Sep 9, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher

(48) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

We can be sure that barring any injuries, the first three spots in the rotation will be filled by Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley and Trevor Cahill. After that, we’ve got Brandon McCarthy, Randall Delgado, Archie Bradley and Daniel Hudson vying for those last two spots. Bradley and Hudson are non-roster invitees, so that definitely puts them behind the 8-ball.

Delgado showed inconsistent signs of excellence during the second half of the 2013 season, while McCarthy did the same. Both had ERA’s on the wrong side of 4.00 (4.53 for McCarthy and 4.26 for Delgado), but both also threw a shutout. There’s no question that those two are the current favorites.

With that said, Hudson is coming back from major arm troubles and may never return to form. He would be a feelgood story, but he’s a longshot. Bradley will certainly be in the rotation at some point, but be assured that his service time will play a role here. Unless he completely dominates in spring training or a major injury pops up, I’d expect him to start in the minors.