Diamondbacks' Archie Bradley: Role remains murky for 2018
Bradley has yet to be used in a save situation over his five appearances in Cactus League play and has yielded four runs on six hits and four walks over 7.1 innings.
Manager Torey Lovullo said earlier this month that the competition to replace the departed Fernando Rodney as closer was "wide open," and little clarity on that front has since emerged. Like Bradley, his top competitors for the ninth-inning role, Brad Boxberger and Yoshihisa Hirano, haven't received a save opportunity or finished a game, making it difficult to determine who Lovullo favors at the back of the bullpen. After submitting a stellar 1.73 ERA and 79:21 K:BB in 73 frames for the Diamondbacks a season ago, Bradley will still be worth rostering in most settings even if he ends up returning to a multi-inning setup role in 2018.