Slade Cecconi, Jorge Barrosa Recalled with Roster Expansion

As rosters expand, two familiar faces are re-joining the Diamondbacks club.

Apr 1, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jorge Barrosa against the New York Yankees at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

As the MLB rosters expand from 26 to 28, and things are once again being shaken up around the league, the Arizona Diamondbacks are being joined by two familiar faces in Jorge Barrosa and Slade Cecconi.

Slade Cecconi, likely the more well-known of the two for fans of the team, spent some significant time with Arizona earlier in the year in multiple stints.

"I feel good right now," Cecconi told Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI's Jack Sommers. "I've really settled into the role in the bullpen recently. I think my routine, and the consistency of it have been much better...It is the first time I have really been in a consistent bullpen role, so I've taken each outing one at a time, learning from it and trying to get better."

Cecconi had been a starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks and was finding varying degrees of success. He would often be perfect through the lineup the first time before seemingly hitting a wall against batters the second time through. After several tough outings, the D-backs pulled the trigger and moved Cecconi to a reliever role where he has found success.

"As a starter, you have a lot of time to prepare for that first pitch of the game. As a reliever you have about 5 minutes, on a good day, to prepare for that first pitch."

Cecconi spoke extensively on the importance of 'routine' and how much it has altered his experience as a reliever. "I've been taking that pre-game work very seriously. Throwing flat grounds, to get a good feel for my pitches, so that I don't have to think when that phone rings. I can just go straight into my 12-15 pitch warmup routine that I've established."

Cecconi pitched to a 6.14 ERA in 73.1 IP with the big league club earlier in 2024. That number is split, with a 5.75 ERA as a starter, with a .279/.321/.791 slash line, compared to an 8.03 ERA, with a 275/.315/.962 slash line as a reliever. That, however, does come with some important caveats.

Cecconi only pitched 4 games, and 12 MLB innings as a reliever, and was stretched to more than two innings multiple times. With the Reno Aces in 2024, he has worked to a much better 3.48 ERA, and has pitched much better since transitioning to a full time reliever role.

His fastball is playing up, even touching 99 mph on the radar gun, and he has found his breaking ball as well. "Locating the ball, that's the biggest thing for me. Especially off-speed coming out of the pen...The fastball command has always been there for me. It's more been the off-speed command, throwing that at the bottom of the zone, and not leaving backed up breaking balls at the top of the zone coming out of the bullpen."

Speaking of Cecconi and his rolemanager Lovullo said "We feel like he's been throwing the ball well. There were times this year where it was a tough send down. We need that type of body. We need somebody that can go multiple innings. Slade's a very good pitcher, he deserves this"

Jorge Barrosa is a switch hitter who saw a small stint in the majors early this season, batting .200 with only 1 extra base hit. He is a great outfielder, and a right hand bat that the team could certainly use for more options in the position player pool.

Lovullo said "We like the outfield depth and the ability for him to move around. He can hit right-handed, so if I need somebody off the bench, that's a very capable at bat. We felt very comfortable with that. He can base run well, he can be a defensive replacement. Versatility was the primary factor for us."

With Reno, Barrosa's numbers are much more appealing, hitting .269 in 61 games with AAA, including 7 home runs and 39 RBI.

"I'm grateful and excited to compete." said the young outfielder, speaking with Jack Sommers. "[The season] has been good. I've been grinding. I know it's been a tough year, with the injuries, but we've got to come through and come back stronger."

Barrosa missed nearly two months with a strained hamstring, another part of the Diamondbacks' devastating injury woes in 2024.

Part of the Diamondbacks' team mentality is in putting trust, and attention in the coaching, and the teams philosophy. This seems to have rubbed off heavily on Barrosa. He credited "Trusting the coaches, and trusting in what they say." as the key factor in getting him back to the major leagues.

That's a great mentality from a young, and exciting player, who makes the bench much more flexible, and can add a young spark to the clubhouse.

Cecconi and Barrosa are joining the Diamondbacks during one of the most important series of the year. They will be ready to face off against the Dodgers, fighting to work their way back into the series. Check out our game preview for today's game HERE.

For all upcoming news, and further breakdowns on all things D-backs, make sure to keep things locked in on Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI for all coverage.