The Diamondbacks are absolutely loaded in the starting rotation and they are young and will likely get better going forward. Here is a look at the starting rotation as of right now:

#1: Ian Kennedy: 27-year old righty Ian Kennedy finished 4th in the Cy Young Award voting last year. He pitched in 33 games (all starts) for the Diamondbacks last year and he was 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Kennedy has now pitched in 65 games (all starts) in his first two years with the D-Backs and he is 30-14 with a 3.31 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He has now pitched in 79 games (77 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 31-18 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. I look for Kennedy to keep rolling for the Diamondbacks in 2012.

#2: Daniel Hudson: 24-year old righty Daniel Hudson is also a starting pitcher on the rise. He pitched in 33 games (all starts) for the D-Backs last year and he was 16-12 with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Hudson has now pitched in 44 games (all starts) in his first two years with the Diamondbacks and he is 23-13 with a 3.01 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Hudson has pitched in 53 games (49 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 25-15 with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Hudson probably has the highest upside of any pitcher on this staff, and that is saying quite a lot.

#3: Trevor Cahill: 23-year old righty Trevor Cahill was acquired from the A’s in a deal this winter and he is a very solid starting pitcher. Cahill pitched in 34 games (all starts) for the A’s last year and he was 12-14 with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Cahill has now pitched in 96 games (all starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 40-35 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Cahill should really benefit from pitching in the National League with no DHs.

#4: Joe Saunders: 30-year old lefty Joe Saunders was not tendered a contract and then he re-signed with the D-Backs over the winter. Saunders pitched in 33 games (all starts) for the D-Backs last year and he was 12-13 with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He has now pitched in 46 games (46 starts) in his first two years with the Diamondbacks and he is 15-20 with a 3.85 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Saunders has now pitched in 161 games (all starts) in his first 7 years in the majors and he is 69-52 with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. It was smart of the Diamondbacks to bring back Saunders for 2012 as he is a quality lefty, and he will be the only guy likely throwing with that arm in the starting rotation.

#5: Josh Collmenter: 25-year old righty Josh Collmenter will be the D-Backs’ #5 starter in 2012. He pitched in 31 games (24 starts) for the D-Backs last year and he was 10-10 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Collmenter is going to be one of best #5 starters in all of baseball in 2012, book it. He has good stuff and good control, which is a recipe for success.

Wade Miley: 25-year old lefty Wade Miley will likely be the next starting pitcher in line if the need arises for the D-Backs. Miley pitched in 8 games (7 starts) for the D-Backs last year and he was 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. He also pitched in 22 games (all starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 8-3 with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Miley looks like he will be ready to step up if the need arises for the D-Backs in 2012.

Barry Enright: 25-year old righty Barry Enright pitched in 7 games (all starts) for the D-Backs last year and he was 1-4 with a 7.41 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP. He has now pitched in 24 games (all starts) in his first two years with the Diamondbacks and he is 7-11 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Enright will have to work hard to get back into the good graces of D-Backs’ management.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE STARTING ROTATION IN 2012: A

The D-Backs have claimed 28-year old righty swinging catcher Craig Tatum off waivers from the Houston Astros. Tatum played in 31 games for the Orioles last year and he was 17 for 87 (.195 avg, .475 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 0 homers, 7 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He has now played in 100 games in his first three years in the majors and he is 60 for 269 (.223 avg, .554 OPS) with 21 runs scored, 1 homer, 22 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. Tatum will likely start the 2012 season in AAA-ball unless Miguel Montero or Henry Blanco get injured in spring training.

The D-Backs decided to fill up all of their needs in the off-season. They wanted a lefty power bat for LF and signed Jason Kubel. They also dealt for Trevor Cahill and lefty reliever Craig Breslow to fill more needs. Here is a look at the new faces for 2012:

In the field: The Diamondbacks wanted a power stick for LF and they signed Jason Kubel for that role. He has bad knees and he’s not much of a defensive player, but he has a sweet stroke from the left side to help balance the D-Backs’ lineup. Lefty swinging Mike Jacobs will provide insurance in case Lyle Overbay falters in 2012.

On the mound: The Diamondbacks wanted another solid, young starting pitcher for 2012, so they dealt for Trevor Cahill. They also filled another huge hole in the trade that brought Cahill to the D-Backs as lefty reliever Craig Breslow was part of the deal. Breslow is a pretty nasty lefty and the D-Backs have not had one of them in a long, long time. Righty reliever Takashi Saito will give the D-Backs another solid reliever to pitch in the 7th inning this year. Righty relievers Jensen Lewis and Jonathan Albaladejo will also have shots to make the pen this spring.

Overall: Bringing in Kubel, Cahill, Breslow and Saito will prove to be a stroke of genius for the D-Backs. They are going to be a lot better than they were in 2011, and that should strike fear in the rest of the National League.

The Diamondbacks have signed 31-year old lefty swinging 1B Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal. Jacobs played in 117 games in AAA-ball for the Rockies last year and he was 128 of 429 (.298 avg, .910 OPS) with 70 runs scored, 23 homers, 97 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. He last played in the majors back in 2010 with the Mets. Jacobs has played in 556 games in his first six years in the majors and he is 489 of 1,930 (.253 avg, .787 OPS) with 244 runs scored, 100 homers, 310 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. The D-Backs will likely stash Jacobs in AAA and give him a call to the show if something happens to Paul Goldschmidt or Lyle Overbay.

The Diamondbacks have signed 29-year old lefty swinging LF Jason Kubel to a 2-year, $15 million dollar deal with an option for 2014. Kubel played in 99 games for the Twins last year and he was 100 for 366 (.273 avg, 766 OPS) with 37 runs scored, 12 homers, 58 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He has now played in 753 games in his first 7 years in the majors and he is 694 for 2,559 (.271 avg, .794 OPS) with 334 runs scored, 104 homers, 429 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Kubel will take over as the Diamondbacks’ starting LF with Gerardo Parra becoming the new #4 outfielder. This was a good signing for the D-Backs as they can really use a lefty power hitter and Kubel fits that bill.