Year 1 of new management with a Tony La Russa/Dave Stewart front-office combo with Chip Hale in the Arizona Diamondbacks dugout generated a bounce back toward .500 with a significantly younger roster and an improved defense (going from a .673 Defensive Efficiency in 2014 to .693 in 2015). Getting back up to 79-83 was nice, a reminder of what they can do when both Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock are healthy, but it was still a losing season. Will they be satisfied with seeing where the roster’s development arc takes them?
What do they need? Much depends on the objectives the Diamondbacks set for themselves, because their payroll isn’t in bad shape. If they think they’re ready to join the seven other likely contenders in the National League right now, they’ll first need to add a quality, right-handed, veteran starter to put in front of Patrick Corbin and Robbie Ray; Archie Bradley, Rubby De La Rosa, Jeremy Hellickson and/or Chase Anderson are all nice enough to have, but if that’s their rotation, 2016 will be more of a competitive developmental year. Similarly, if they’re in win-now mode, they would need some additional punch in the infield, with second base being the place to upgrade. Aaron Hill looks done and carrying both Chris Owings and defensive stalwart Nick Ahmed at shortstop is a formula for too many easy outs, even for an NL lineup.
Finally, the Diamondbacks might want to add a corner outfielder. But that’s after they come up with a plan for what to do with Yasmany Tomas, considering the $63 million the Snakes owe him through 2020. He cannot play a competent third base, and he’s pretty brutal in an outfield corner, so the bat has to come around or he’ll go down as the biggest bust to come out of Cuba.
Guys on the rise: The outfield combo of Pollock, David Peralta and Ender Inciarte broke through nicely in 2015. Pollock and Peralta provided the offense that kept Goldschmidt from getting lonely with OPS marks north of .860 (delivering on the road as well as in Chase Field). Pollock and Inciarte also provided excellent defense, but the question there is whether Inciarte is more of a quality fourth outfielder on a contender or a second-division team’s center fielder-to-be.
Prospect to anticipate: Bradley, still. The D-backs understandably handled him carefully because of a shoulder injury (and a notable drop in velocity from a fastball that normally sits in the mid-90s), limiting him to just 65 innings pitched between the majors and minors. He was shut down early after coming back at Triple-A and flashing 97 on the radar gun, and he did only just turn 23 in August. He should head into 2016 with a clean shot at earning a rotation slot.
Winter action plan: The Snakes have an opportunity to make a go of it now, because the core of their lineup -- Goldschmidt, Pollock and Peralta -- is in their primes now, heading into their age-28 seasons in 2016. With initial payroll estimates just more than $60 million, they could afford to take themselves seriously as a contending club over the next three seasons. That puts the new management team on the spot, with Stewart -- a successful former agent who got major money for Eric Chavez and Matt Kemp -- on the spot to land his first big free agent from the other side of the desk with the D-backs.
Christina Kahrl writes about MLB for ESPN. You can follow her on Twitter.