Speier Has Had Itinerant Winter

PHOENIX—Lefthander Gabe Speier does not keep a suitcase packed at all times. It only seems that way.

Speier changed organizations for the third time in less than a year when the Diamondbacks acquired him as part of the Shelby Miller trade with the Braves at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 9.

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The 20-year-old southpaw already had been involved in one major trade since being a Red Sox 19th-round pick out of high school in Goleta, Calif., in 2013. Boston dealt Speier, prospect Alex Wilson and Yoenis Cespedes to the Tigers for Rick Porcello in December 2014. The Tigers flipped him to the Braves for Cameron Maybin in November 2015.

“Our scouts like his strike-throwing ability and command of the bottom of the zone,” director of player personnel De Jon Watson said. “His changeup is solid-average now, and he knows how to use his pitches.”

Speier, whose repertoire also includes a 90-93 mph fastball and a slider, went 4-2, 2.86 in 44 innings at low Class A West Michigan in 2015. Used exclusively in relief, he made eight starts among his 12 appearances in the Red Sox organization, and the D-backs are keeping their options open.

The D-backs had success moving Zack Godley from the bullpen to the rotation in his first season in the organization after being acquired in the Miguel Montero trade, and they will not pigeonhole Speier, who does not turn 21 until April.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Speier had Tommy John surgery after making three appearances in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2013 after being drafted.

He made a quick return to the GCL less than a year later, and in his final two starts of 2014 gave up one run and struck out 12 in 10 innings while winning both games. He went 3-0, 1.55 in nine games, six starts, that year.

SNAKE BITES

• Catcher/outfielder Peter O’Brien flexed his power with three doubles and three home runs in a nine-game stretch ending Dec. 20 with Hermosillo of the Mexican Pacific League, though he was hitting just .174/.288/.449 in 69 at-bats at the time.

• The D-backs signed Michigan State outfielder Tony Cheky, who had back surgery for a bulging disk after leaving college in 2015. He set an MSU season stolen base record with 29 and was a two-time Big Ten Conference stolen-base champion.