ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers: Archie Bradley will be in ’14 rotation if ‘he’s one of our best five’

Jan 23, 2014, 12:37 AM | Updated: 2:50 am

LISTEN:

The Arizona Diamondbacks, by all accounts, were one of the final few teams to be considered by the camp of Japanese free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

But the 25-year-old phenom won’t be coming to the desert. Instead, Tanaka inked a seven-year, $155 million contract with the New York Yankees.

Tanaka’s signing in the Bronx leaves Arizona with a starting rotation which looks a lot like it did at the end of the 2013 season — Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy and Randall Delgado.

Of course, the D-backs could pursue another starter in a much smaller free agent deal or explore trades with other Major League franchises.

Or, there’s Archie Bradley.

The 21-year-old was selected by the D-backs with the seventh pick of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft and has excelled wherever he’s pitched in the minors.

In 2013, Bradley went 14-5 with a 1.84 ERA in 26 starts at Single-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile. Earlier this month, the Oklahoma native was named the top right-handed pitching prospect in baseball by MLB.com.

Arizona general manager Kevin Towers was a guest of Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday and said Bradley may not be far off from pitching for the big league club.

“He’s gonna come in here blazing, he thought he was ready last year in July or August,” Towers said. “From what we’ve seen — the velocity, the fastball command is there, the breaking ball is there, he’s strong, he’s durable, he’s powerful. The higher we’ve moved him up, the better he’s been.

“I would not be surprised if he opens up a lot of eyes and puts a lot of pressure on us to open up with him. If he’s one of our best five we’ll do it.”

There was talk, mostly from the fan base, that the D-backs would call Bradley up to the Majors late last season, but the organization decided against it.

Towers is much more open to the idea of having Bradley as part of the 2014 rotation if he’s good enough to earn a spot in spring training.

“We’re not going to sit there and worry about the free agency clock and try to save a year of arbitration,” he said. “We want to go out and win ball games and if Archie Bradley is one of our best five, he’ll start the season come Opening Day.”

Arizona Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte celebrates...

Tyler Drake

Ketel Marte to lead off Arizona Diamondbacks’ Opening Day lineup

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Opening Day lineup is set ahead of their matchup against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

2 hours ago

Jordan Montgomery throws a pitch...

Tyler Drake

Hall: Diamondbacks’ addition of Jordan Montgomery ‘made a lot of sense’

The Diamondbacks' addition of Jordan Montgomery puts a bow on a rotation that should be in the conversation for the top spot across MLB.

3 hours ago

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable picks: One Diamondbacks young player to watch in 2024

Which Arizona Diamondbacks player should continue an upward trend in 2024? Gabriel Moreno, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas are possibilities.

4 hours ago

Chase Field flyover...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks’ Hall ‘battling’ to keep Chase Field roof open for Opening Day

The roof at Chase Field continues to be a hot button topic, especially after an exhibition game was rained out on Monday.

4 hours ago

Merrill Kelly throws a pitch...

Alex Weiner

Meet the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2024 Opening Day roster

The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster on Thursday ahead of their matchup against the Rockies.

5 hours ago

Manager Torey Lovullo speaks with Corbin Carroll...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable: Expectations, predictions for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks

What are the expectations for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks? Arizona Sports show hosts and editors make their predictions.

7 hours ago

Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers: Archie Bradley will be in ’14 rotation if ‘he’s one of our best five’