ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Starting Lineup
2B Felipe Lopez: 28 year-old is just 3 years removed from a 44-SB season and 4 years from a .291 BA, 23 HR season with the Reds; will be given a long look at the leadoff spot in spring training
SS Stephen Drew: 25 year-old hit .313 with 11 HR's, 27 2B's, and 6 3B's batting out of the lead off spot in '08 but he could move down if Lopez shows he's capable of leading off
CF Chris Young: strikeouts increased (165 K's in '08) while his HR (22) and SB (14) numbers decreased after a big 2007 season in which he hit 32 HR's and stole 27 bases UPDATE 3/2 - there has been talk of Young batting in the #3 hole
LF Conor Jackson: has not yet hit for much power but is a career .287 hitter with a .367 OBP UPDATE 2/19 - looks like the D-Backs definitely plan on keeping Jackson in the OF
1B Chad Tracy: hit .267 with 8 HR's in '08; likely to start at 1B with Jackson staying in LF
3B Mark Reynolds: take the good ... 28 HR, 97 RBI... with the bad ... 204 K's, 34 errors
RF Justin Upton: superstar potential for this 21 year-old who hit .250 with 15 HR's in 356 AB's in 2008 UPDATE 4/4 - rough spring is getting him dropped to 7th in the lineup to start the season
C Chris Snyder: has hit 29 HR's over the past two seasons and has thrown out an impressive 33% of attempted base stealers throughout his career

Bench
C Miguel Montero: has been rumored in trade talks with Snyder entrenched as the starter but he remains a D-Back and could be traded later in the season to a team in search of a young starting catcher
IF Augie Ojeda: hit just .205 in the 2nd half of the season
IF Ryan Roberts: UPDATE 3/11 - like Wilson, he is pushing Ojeda for the backup IF job with a strong spring; he's 9-for-25 with 4 doubles and 3 SB's thus far UPDATE 3/13 - team could carry an extra bench player until mid-April when it needs a 5th starter UPDATE 3/25 - will see time at catcher in an effort to increase his versatility UPDATE 4/4 - officially wins final roster spot
1B Tony Clark: 36 year-old veteran returns for another season in Arizona, although his role will likely be limited to pinch-hitting duty
OF Eric Byrnes: hit .286 with 21 HR's, 83 RBI's, and 50 SB's in 2007 but injuries derailed his 2008 season

Starting Rotation
RHP Brandon Webb: went 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA in 2008 to finish 2nd in the Cy Young voting
RHP Dan Haren: won a career-best 16 games while posting a 3.33 ERA in his debut season in Arizona
LHP Doug Davis: came back from cancer surgery to go 6-8 with a 4.32 ERA in 26 starts
RHP Jon Garland: 29 year-old has averaged 14 wins per season since 2002

Bullpen
RHP Chad Qualls: very effective after taking over for Brandon Lyon as the team's closer late in the season, saving 7 of 9 games and posting a 1.01 ERA after August 1st
RHP Tony Pena: he was very good in 2007 (3.27 ERA, 85.1 IP, 63 H) but just so-so in 2008 (4.33 ERA, 72.2 IP, 80 H)
RHP Jon Rauch: was completely awful after coming over in a pre-deadline deal with the Nationals, losing all six of his decisions and posting a 6.56 ERA
LHP Scott Schoeneweis: off season acquisition from the Mets posted a 3.34 ERA in '08 and allowed a .178 BA against left-handed batters
RHP Billy Buckner: team's #8 prospect, according to BA, did a good job in 10 relief appearances (3.21 ERA, 14 IP, 4 BB, 11 K) in a late-season audition for the D-Backs UPDATE 3/8 - making a strong case to win a bullpen job
LHP Doug Slaten: ERA jumped to 4.73 in '08 after posting a 2.72 ERA in 61 relief appearances during his rookie season in 2007
RHP Juan Gutierrez: 25 year-old had a terrible season in AAA (6.09 ERA, 116.2 IP, 152 H) after being acquired in the Jose Valverde deal with Houston UPDATE 3/5 - making a strong case to win a roster spot UPDATE 3/31 - helped by the fact that the team will be carrying eight relievers to start the season, Gutierrez has made the opening day roster
RHP Yusmeiro Petit: odd man out of the rotation after the Garland signing, he'll battle for a middle relief job and will likely be the long reliever and designated #6 starter, in case of an injury or if Scherzer struggles

Disabled List
RHP Tom Gordon: if healthy, he has one of the nastiest breaking balls around, but it's questionable if he has anything left in the tank at age 41; unlikely to be ready until late April or early May
RHP Max Scherzer: talented 24 year-old expected to assume the #5 starter role after a nice rookie season, in which he posted a 3.05 ERA and struck out 66 batters in 56 IP UPDATE 3/13 - status for opening day in doubt because of shoulder inflammation
UPDATE 3/13 - likely to start on the DL and join the team in mid-April when the team first needs a #5 starter UPDATE 3/28 - will start the season on the DL and will most likely be called up on April 14th

In limbo
IF Josh Wilson: UPDATE 3/7 - 27 year-old is competing with Ojeda for a backup IF job; hit .251 in 263 AB's with Tampa Bay back in '07 UPDATE 4/4 - will not make the team
1B Josh Whitesell: UPDATE 4/1 - last roster spot is between Whitesell, Wilson, and Roberts UPDATE 4/4 - will not make the team
LHP Travis Blackley: former Mariners prospect has a legitimate shot to win a bullpen job with the D-Backs after pitching very well in the Winter League UPDATE 3/30 - has been informed that he wouldn't make the opening day roster; can accept or decline a minor league assignment

Outrighted to the minors
C James Skelton: career .292 batter in the minors, he could win a backup job if Montero is traded; if not, this Rule V pick is heading back to the Tigers organization UPDATE 3/22 - versatility would help his case in making the roster and he has looked comfortable at 2B thus far UPDATE 3/29 - getting reps in the OF as the team continues to test his versatility UPDATE 4/1 - placed on waivers; if he goes unclaimed, he must be offered back to the Tigers UPDATE 4/2 - D-Backs worked out a trade to keep his rights and outrighted him to AA

Optioned to AAA
OF Alex Romero: hit .230 with 1 HR in 135 AB's in 2008 UPDATE 3/13 - he is currently out with a broken bone in his hand; this report from 2/18 says that he would be out two weeks but he is still not back in action and his status for opening day is uncertain UPDATE 3/22 - back in action but is hitless in his first 7 AB's of the spring UPDATE 3/25 - cleared waivers and sent outright to AAA
RHP Leo Rosales: posted a 4.20 ERA in 27 relief appearances during his rookie season in Arizona UPDATE 3/31 - optioned to AAA
RHP Bobby Korecky: 29 year-old reliever finally got a chance to pitch in the big leagues (4.58 ERA in 16 games) for Minnesota after making 153 relief appearances in AAA Rochester over the past three seasons; claimed on waivers by Arizona UPDATE 3/31 - optioned to AAA