Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) talks to the umpires with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) as bees swarm on the home plate net delaying the start of the game at Chase Field in Phoenix on April 30, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
While the Los Angeles Dodgers dominate headlines at Camelback Ranch, defending their World Series title in front of a media frenzy, the Arizona Diamondbacks are quietly preparing for the season without the same attention.
They don't mind being underdogs -- they embrace it.
"The Dodgers deserve all of that attention," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo says. "They have an All-Star lineup, an All-Star rotation and an All-Star bullpen. A credit to them and the team they built. We have to play our game. I reinforced that.
"Hey, it's our team, our way, our dugout, our situation. Let's not be so concerned about what's going on across the way."
Rather than conceding to the Dodgers' star-studded offseason, Arizona made a bold move of its own, signing 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to a franchise-record six-year, $210 million contract.
That deal helped push the Diamondbacks' payroll to a club-record $195 million, signaling their commitment to contending.
Arizona's pitching staff is built to compete. Burnes joins Zac Gallen -- who finished third in Cy Young voting two years ago -- alongside reliable veteran Merrill Kelly, former 19-game winner Eduardo Rodriguez, World Series champion Jordan Montgomery, and promising young right-hander Brandon Pfaadt.
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Their $369.8 million investment in starting pitching may not match the name recognition of the Dodgers, but in a short series, a rotation featuring Burnes, Gallen, Kelly, and Rodriguez could be a serious challenge.
"Obviously they've done what they've done, they signed who they signed," Gallen said to USA Today. "But look at this team. Fully healthy, you could easily put our rotation in the top 10 easily last year and now we add someone like Corbin.
"For ownership and management to go out and spend the money and put a commitment to us, as a player it just reinforced what you're doing. We needed maybe another piece to get us over the hump, and then you get a guy with his caliber. Pretty cool."
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The Diamondbacks aren't just preparing for another season -- they're preparing for another deep postseason run.
"Look, top to bottom, as far as the rotation and the bullpen, we can compete with any club," Burnes told USA Today. "We can run out there right now with seven starters that would arguably be in the top two or three of any rotation.
"I think pitching-wise we can compete with any team, whether it's the Dodgers or the Mets. This was a team that was in the World Series two years ago, and we're well positioned to make another good run."