The D-backs are bringing back right-hander Zach Davies on a one-year deal, the club announced on Wednesday. The contract will guarantee Davies $5 million and could pay him up to an additional $3 million in incentives.
The D-backs designated RHP J.B. Bukauskas for assignment in a corresponding move. Another D-backs-related transaction that took place Wednesday was right-hander Edwin Uceta being claimed off waivers by the Twins. Uceta was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for veteran third baseman Evan Longoria, whom the D-backs signed to a one-year, $4 million deal on Thursday.
Davies, who will turn 30 on Feb. 7, posted a 4.09 ERA across 27 starts last season, his first with Arizona. By re-signing him, the D-backs give themselves another veteran option in the starting rotation. He is 58-53 with a 4.14 ERA over 182 career starts for the D-backs, Padres and Cubs.
“I think he really stabilized things for us in the rotation last year, especially from a consistency standpoint,” general manager Mike Hazen said. “We love the guy. We feel like he’s a pro. He fits in great in our clubhouse. We felt the whole time that we needed another starting pitcher, even though I know we have a lot of kids coming.
“Yes, those guys are going to get opportunities to pitch for us, but we felt like, starting off the season and moving into the season, we’d create a little bit more depth and runway for all of them, and for our team. And adding Zach — obviously a quality starting pitcher for us — seemed to make the most sense.”
Hazen said that while those young pitching prospects will get their chance during the 2023 campaign, he doesn’t envision going into Spring Training with a bullpen role set in stone for them. He added that doing that and then potentially needing them to join the rotation later in the year would increase the chance of injury unless they are sent down to the Minors and built back up for a starter’s workload.
Hazen also did not rule out the possibility of going to a six-man rotation at some point during the season.
“[The Davies signing] allows us to be more aggressive in pushing starters into the bullpen,” Hazen said. “I think that’s the more realistic scenario that I would envision happening if everyone stays healthy. Everyone doesn’t stay healthy — this conversation will, unfortunately, possibly change during the early part of the season.
“So that’s my largest concern in making those decisions in Spring Training — it’s not to…
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