TUCSON, Ariz. -- Auditions for the fifth spot in the Arizona
Diamondbacks rebuilt starting rotation begin this week with the
onset of spring training games.
Four spots seem fairly well set, with Russ Ortiz, Brandon Webb
and Shawn Estes following ace Javier Vazquez. Webb is the lone
returnee from last season.
But six young players are competing for the fifth spot, and
manager Bob Melvin expects the battle among Casey Daigle, Michael
Gosling, Brad Halsey, Edgar Gonzalez, Lance Cormier and Oscar
Villarreal to last a while.
"I would like to make a decision on Oscar before the end,"
Melvin said. "I don't want to take that thing right to the end. If
I feel like I am going to put him in the bullpen, I want him to
have some outings to get ready for it."
Villarreal, a right-hander, missed much of last season with a
right flexor strain. He was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in 17 games before
being sidelined.
Despite his past success in the bullpen, Villarreal has made no
secret of his dreams to be a starter.
"My arm is feeling good," he said. "I would like to start but
whatever they need I'll do the job."
Gosling and Halsey, whom the Diamondbacks acquired from the New
York Yankees in the Randy Johnson trade, are left-handers vying for
the starter's role.
Gosling, a former No. 2 draft choice from Stanford, made his
major league debut last September. He went 1-1 with a 4.62 ERA in
six games including four starts.
"Just to have the experience will help," Gosling said. "I
feel familiar with a lot of the players and coaching staff. That
helps the comfort level more than anything but it doesn't mean I am
going to perform any better. I have to go out there and start
over."
Halsey was 1-3 with a 6.47 ERA in eight games with the Yankees.
He had success at Triple A Columbus, the Yankees' top farm club,
compiling a 11-4 record and 2.63 ERA.
"He has a competitive streak in him," Melvin said. "This guy
has shown no emotions out there. I couldn't tell whether he's
throwing the ball well or not. He has a cutter that is similar to
an Andy Pettitte and Jim Abbott.
"Usually, when you have left-handed starters you don't see guys
who pitch inside like he does."
Daigle was in the Arizona rotation early last season but wound
up in Tucson after going 2-3 with a 7.16 ERA in the majors, and
Gonzalez also has split time between the minors and the big time,
losing all nine decisions with the Diamondbacks over two years.
"The last month-and-a-half of winter ball I threw different
from last year," Gonzalez said. "I changed my delivery and my
mechanics. I feel more confident. Every year you try to pitch
better because you have more experience."
Game notes
INF Jerry Gil, who played in 29 games last year, will miss
at least a month and possibly up to four months because of surgery
to repair torn meniscus in his right knee. Gil tore the cartilage
when he twisted his knee last week.