Diamondbacks Mailbag @ Diamondbacks.mlb.com

How many pitchers will the D-backs keep this year? I've heard both 11 and 12, and I was wondering which it will be?
-- Thomas H., Phoenix

With games in 21 of the first 22 days of the season, the D-backs will carry an extra arm in the bullpen and go with 12 pitchers to open the year. Depending on how things go after that, it's possible they could end up going back to 11. With four pitchers in their rotation expected to throw 200-plus innings, I could see them reducing the number of relievers after the initial schedule crunch.

Where does it look like Micah Owings and Adam Bass will end up for the season? What do you think about the D-backs using Owings as a setup man or possibly as the closer?
-- Nathan W., Knoxville, Tenn.

Owings is a serious candidate for the rotation, but if he doesn't make the team, he will start at Triple-A Tucson. That's the likely destination for Bass, who will probably throw out of the bullpen. As for Owings as a reliever, I've heard some people speculate that he would be better suited for that role as it would add some velocity to his fastball and he certainly has the makeup for a closer-type role.

But when a guy has had the kind of success he's had at the Minor League level as a starter, I think you have to at last give him a shot as a starter in the big leagues before you think about switching him. He's certainly earned that by his performance.

What role, if any, is young lefty Greg Smith likely to play in 2007?
-- Ben H., Tucson, Ariz.

Smith finished the year at Double-A last year, and with just 11 starts there, I could see him beginning the year with Mobile. I don't think that's completely been decided yet. He's certainly opened some eyes at camp this spring with his arm and the way he carries himself on the mound. Wherever he starts, he'll move quickly if he continues to pitch the way he has so far this spring.

How has Tony Clark's rehab gone following his shoulder surgery last year?
-- Andy B., Plymouth, Minn.

It's going very well, Andy. Clark has not experienced any setbacks so far in camp and has no limitations on him right now. There may be some times they give him an extra day off to make sure he doesn't overdo things, but other than that, he is a full go.

I read a sports article recently that predicted that the Diamondbacks would be this year's Detroit Tigers. What is your opinion? Thanks.
-- Tiffani S., Mesa, Ariz.

I certainly think the D-backs could surprise a lot of people this year. The Dodgers have gotten most of the attention in the National League West so far this spring, and I think they are the favorites going in.

That said, if the starters pitch as the D-backs expect them to, and the young position players produce like they're capable of, this is certainly a team that could contend. And as we saw last year, once a team makes it to the postseason, anything can happen.

Could Chris Carter be considered a dark horse to crack the Major League roster with the D-backs? Last year he hit .301 with 19 homers, 97 RBIs, 30 doubles, walked 78 times while striking out only 69 times, which translated into a .395 OPS. Those are pretty good numbers and he's only 24, so is there a chance that he could crack the roster? Is he the first baseman of the future with Conor Jackson currently there? And if Jackson stays there, could he switch positions, to say, third?
-- Dylan P., Shiloh, Ohio

Carter did put up some really impressive numbers at Triple-A last year and he looks to be a tremendous hitter. I don't, however, see him making the team out of Spring Training. Jackson is clearly the No. 1 guy at first and it wouldn't make sense to keep Carter as a reserve. As for the future, it's tough to say because there are so many factors involved. There's always the possibility of a trade or an injury that could open things up for him. Carter, a lefty, is not a candidate to switch to third.