Arizona Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall on Daniel Hudson: ‘We’re going to do what’s best for him’
Mar 26, 2015, 11:21 PM | Updated: 11:53 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks still don’t have a starting rotation locked in. With only a week and change left of spring training, D-backs president Derrick Hall said the pitching staff might have some uncertainty for a while.
“It’s still the biggest question mark, as we thought it would be and that’s the big unknown,” Hall told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Thursday. “We’re going to be a fun team, an exciting team. We’re going to score a lot of runs. We’re going to play good defense. We’re going to run well. The big question mark has always been pitching and that’s why we tried to create some depth and bring in some different looks and power arms and young guys, but again, they’re not proven. They may not be ready. They could be ready. They could surprise us.”
One pitcher who could be a surprise this season is Daniel Hudson. He has missed the majority of the last three seasons because of two Tommy John surgeries, but Hall said he is looking back to form.
“He’s looked really good,” Hall said. “His numbers may not have showed it the last time at Glendale. They weren’t terrible. He gave up a few runs, but he’s looked real strong. His velocity has been up to 96. Typical Daniel Hudson. I mean, the ball’s moving, he’s got command, he’s got control, he’s got confidence out there, so I’m just glad he’s back.”
Arizona knows what kind of pitcher he can be. In Hudson’s first year with the D-backs, he had a 1.69 ERA in the 11 games he started. He followed that year with a 16-win season and a 3.49 ERA in his 33 starts. With him looking like his old self again, it might be easy to put him right back in the rotation. Whatever decision they make, Hall said it won’t be a selfish one.
“I think at the end of the day, we’re going to do what’s best for him,” Hall said. “A lot of times, we’ll say, ‘We’re going to do what’s best for the team.’ But when you got a very talented young man who’s been through so much as he has including two Tommy John surgeries and he’s looked so good this spring, you want to do what’s best for him to preserve him and to provide longevity for his career.”
