SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- If you want to get under Mike Hazen's skin these days, just dare to ask the Diamondbacks' general manager how he's going to sort out his rotation now that Zac Gallen was re-signed.
After also signing free agents Merrill Kelly and Michael Soroka to go along with returnees Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt, the Diamondbacks have six experienced starters for five spots.
Why is Hazen touchy about answering that question? Well, just go back 12 months to what the most repeated question to him was for almost six weeks.
"Mike, you've got seven starting pitchers for five spots. How are you going to sort that out?"
The Diamondbacks had Gallen, Kelly, Pfaadt, Rodriguez, Nelson, Corbin Burnes and Jordan Montgomery. Hazen repeatedly said that a team can never have too much starting pitching, but it was a question that nagged all throughout Spring Training.
At the end of camp, Arizona decided to move Nelson and Montgomery to the bullpen, and even before Opening Day, Montgomery was lost to Tommy John surgery. Then in late May/early June, so was Burnes.
Gallen also spent a month on the IL, and suddenly a team that had too much starting pitching in the spring didn't have enough. By the end of the season, Nabil Crismatt was starting games for Arizona and the Diamondbacks used a bullpen game of sorts while competing for a Wild Card berth during the final week of the season.
When the Diamondbacks open the season March 26 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Kelly is scheduled to make his first career Opening Day start. What the rest of the rotation looks like, well, Hazen isn't going to speculate all spring.
"I will have an answer for you on March 26," Hazen said. "That's the way I'm going to approach this. I think last year it was seven to eight starting pitchers, and we didn't have [enough]. And that's the unfortunate nature of the game at times with this position."
Manager Torey Lovullo said he did not feel the need to address any of the other starters after Gallen was signed.
"I haven't had any conversations," Lovullo said. "I want to watch these guys go out and perform. It'll be our job to coach them as hard as we can and continue training them so they can go out there and dominate, and whatever happens, happens. I don't know what that looks like right now, so I can't even really make comments about any projections or what the starting rotation is going to look like. I just want to make sure these guys are getting everything they need from us right now."
The Diamondbacks do have more pitching depth now than they have had in a while. Beyond the six main competitors, they have a number of young pitchers who could contribute if needed.
At the top of the list would probably be No. 6 prospect Kohl Drake (who came over in the trade last summer that sent Kelly to the Rangers), Dylan Ray and No. 11 prospect Cristian Mena.
There's also No. 9 prospect Mitch Bratt (also acquired in the Kelly deal), former first-round pick Bryce Jarvis, Spencer Giesting, No. 20 prospect Yu-Min Lin and Joe Ross. And the list goes on with some pitchers like No. 13 prospect Daniel Eagen, who could be candidates later in the year.
"Having Zac here strengthens that part of our team," Hazen said. "And I'm happy about that. One of the huge benefits of doing this, not only having a talent the caliber of Zac, but also now it builds out another really good starting pitcher in our rotation. I will say our depth is better this year."
Just wait until later in March to ask how it's all going to shake out.