The Arizona Diamondbacks made it all the way to the World Series while trusting just three starting pitchers throughout the postseason: Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and rookie Brandon Pfaadt.
In the end, they paid the price and lost, but that meant they entered the offseason with the burning desire to add to their rotation.
After inking Eduardo Rodriguez to a multi-year pact on Thursday, they added a capable frontline pitcher to their staff and gave the unit more length and talent.
Jomboy Media researcher Dalton Feely pointed out that the 2024 rotation has a fantastic look.
“The DBacks rotation is the best in the NL West and one of the best in the MLB: Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, Tommy Henry, Slade Cecconi/Drey Jameson (Emergency Options). This is arguably the most complete rotation in DBacks’ HISTORY,” he tweeted.
The DBacks rotation is the best in the NL West and one of the best in the MLB
Zac Gallen
Merrill Kelly
Eduardo Rodriguez
Brandon Pfaadt
Tommy Henry
Slade Cecconi/Drey Jameson (Emergency Options)This is arguably the most complete rotation in DBacks’ HISTORY
— Dalton Feely (@dfeely14) December 7, 2023
The D-Backs rotation can very well contend for best in the NL West right now, but it’s probably still not top-five in MLB and is, in addition, not the most complete in D-Backs history although there is an argument to be made about that (the units that featured Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2001 and Johnson, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Doug Davis and Micah Owings in 2008, to name two examples, are in contention).
But with four trustworthy names, it is a very solid unit and that’s Feely’s point.
Gallen and Kelly are two incredible pitchers, Pfaadt had a 3.27 ERA in the postseason, and E-Rod boasted a 3.30 ERA and 143 strikeouts with the Detroit Tigers in 2023.
Jameson will probably be out for most of the year, but Henry, Cecconi and Blake Walston each have high ceilings.
If Arizona manages to add another solid, cheap veteran to stabilize the bottom of the rotation, it would be a best-case scenario.
NEXT:
Insider Reveals How Diamondbacks Landed Another Ace