In his first exposure to the majors last season, right-hander Zac Gallen posted impressive results, exhibited nasty stuff and put himself on the map as a potential dominant force for the starting rotation entering this season.
And yet as camp began this past week Gallen was not assured of a job on the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster. The club hasn’t said he doesn’t have a rotation spot, but it hasn’t said he does, either.
The reason for this, as explained by General Manager Mike Hazen, makes sense on its face, even if it does create the potential for uncomfortable situations.