With the signing of Corbin Burnes, the Arizona Diamondbacks are in an advantageous position with their starting rotation. Should they find a trade partner for Jordan Montgomery, they still have six capable starters who deserve a rotation spot. That puts them in a roster crunch — the good kind — where they have to come up with a solution to best utilize what they have.
The team has three potential solutions to address their rotation, each coming with big pros and cons. They could move one of their starters to long relief, employ a six-man rotation, or trade a starter to improve the club in a different area. Optioning a starter to Triple-A is not, and should not be, an option to stash pitching depth if he's one of the 13 best arms in the organization.
In terms of who profiles best for long relief, Ryne Nelson is the most obvious candidate of the group. However, the inherent risk of putting him there is keeping him stretched out. They learned that lesson the hard way with Drey Jameson in 2023, as he tore the UCL and needed Tommy John surgery.
Could the Diamondbacks open the season with a six-man rotation?
Assuming that the long relief option is off the table, the team could stand pat and start the year with a six-man rotation. That would allow them to keep their starters rested early in the season and protect against injuries by keeping six starters stretched out. If there is an injury, either in Spring Training or early in the season, then they could just revert to a five-man rotation.
The upside to this solution is they can keep getting starts from Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson. The two pitchers threw the most innings from their starters in 2024, at 181 2/3 and 150, respectively, and were instrumental in keeping the rotation afloat. Nelson and Pfaadt come with more than four years of control left, making them a big part of the rotation's future.
As the 2024 season proved, there is never enough starting pitching depth. Pfaadt was the only starter who didn't spend time on the injured list. Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly missed more than three months with shoulder injuries, and their ability to eat innings in 2025 should be in doubt. Given their age and injury history, having a sixth capable starter may be more valuable to the Diamondbacks than being one heartbeat away from tapping into their minor league depth.
The downside is the disruption of the rotation and how a six-man rotation, if deployed long-term, negatively affects the impact pitchers like Burnes or Zac Gallen can provide. The best version of this team is when those two pitchers can combine for at least 60-65 starts. Between Rodriguez, Kelly, Pfaadt, and Nelson, they have plenty of guys who can easily fill up the final three spots.
Should Arizona trade one of their young starters to get a controllable bat?
Even though starting pitching depth is important, it shouldn't stop the Diamondbacks from seeking out potential deals to upgrade their lineup and/or bullpen. Since Nelson has four years of control, general manager Mike Hazen has the leverage to demand a high price for the young right-hander. That would mean acquiring controllable bat, especially one that can help replace the lost power production from Christian Walker and Joc Pederson going to the AL West.
Such options that Arizona should set their sights on include Triston Casas and Taylor Ward. Those are slugging options who can hit 25 or more home runs and slot into the middle of the order. Casas is DH-only type (but plays first base) while Ward is a quality option to play outfield.
There is a drawback to a trade, as it depletes their starting pitching depth. They already traded a young starter to Cleveland to acquire Josh Naylor, so their depth has already taken a hit. Beyond the six starters, they have prospects Cristian Mena, Blake Walston, and Yilber Diaz waiting in Triple-A with Yu-Min Lin and Dylan Ray not too far behind. Jameson is a dark horse option but considering his situation, he's more likely to have his innings controlled in 2025.
With moves continuing to happen, don't be surprised if the D-backs re-enter the hot stove conversation relatively soon.