D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly accepted an invitation to pitch for Team USA in next spring's World Baseball Classic.

"I'm really, really excited about it," Kelly said. "I'm honored by the fact that when I look around at the roster of who's committed already, and it's essentially an All-Star team, especially on the position-player side. They haven't announced all the pitchers yet. So I haven't seen who else is going to join the rotation with me, but you know, looking at the infield and looking at our lineup, it's pretty special. The fact that my name is involved with [Bryce] Harper and [Mike] Trout and [Paul] Goldschmidt and [Nolan] Arenado … the fact that they wanted me to play is pretty cool to me."

Kelly, who signed a contract extension with the D-backs during Spring Training, was 13-8 with a 3.37 ERA while pitching 200 1/3 innings in 2022. The 34-year-old was the National League Pitcher of the Month for July, when he went 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA.

Kelly said the decision to pitch for Team USA will not change the way he prepares for Spring Training despite the fact that he will be pitching in games that have more on the line in March with Team USA than the usual spring games.

"I've been told that kind of wherever we're at in spring with pitch counts and innings is going to be honored at Team USA," Kelly said. "So whatever I'm at -- if I'm up to three [innings] and 45 [pitches] and I'm throwing against Team Mexico, then that's what I'll throw."

The D-backs signed Kelly out of Korea prior to the 2019 season, and while the signing didn't get much attention at the time, it has been a huge plus for Arizona.

In his four years with the D-backs, Kelly has turned into a quality, reliable workhorse pitcher, and he has earned the opportunity to pitch for his first USA national team.

"If you were to tell me in 2014 or 2015 when I went over to Korea that I'd be playing for Team USA when I'm 34, I mean, I probably would have laughed at you," Kelly said. "I probably would have told you that you're insane. So it's definitely been a journey. I'm grateful for it."

Which of these former D-backs played for three of the four expansion teams from the 1990s?

A) Greg Colbrunn
B) Erubiel Durazo
C) Travis Lee
D) Devon White

• It is somewhat surprising that D-backs right-hander Zac Gallen did not finish in the top three in the NL Cy Young voting given the kind of season he had. Instead, Sandy Alcantara, Max Fried and Julio Urías were named the finalists for the award, with Alcantara winning unanimously.

I understand that the D-backs don't get the attention that some of the bigger-market teams get, but it sure feels like Gallen's outstanding season flew under the radar more than it should have, especially with his 44 1/3 scoreless-innings streak, the third longest since Orel Hershiser set the record of 59 in 1988.

"I knew it would be an uphill battle," Gallen said of finishing in the top three. "Those other three guys are unbelievable pitchers, unbelievable competitors, they had great years themselves. I know it helps in the sense of maybe playing in a pennant race or playing in a bigger market, a bit more media exposure and whatnot, so I just tried to go out and do my job. I feel like I deserve to be up there, but some people saw it differently."

Gallen finished in fifth place when the results were announced on MLB Network on Wednesday.

• The D-backs acquired right-handed reliever Carlos Vargas from the Guardians on Tuesday, and it is a really intriguing pickup.

Vargas has to improve his command, but the move shows that the D-backs are going to make a big push this offseason to try to not just add to their bullpen, but add power arms to the ‘pen, something they identified as a weakness the previous few seasons.

• The D-backs also added infielder Blaze Alexander (ranked as the team's No. 14 prospect), outfielder Jorge Barrosa (No. 18), outfielder Dominic Fletcher (No. 13) and right-hander Justin Martinez (No. 30) to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from being eligible to be picked in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

A few notable players left off the 40-man were outfielders Dominic Canzone (No. 19) and Wilderd Patino (No. 16), along with right-hander Conor Grammes (No. 28).

• The D-backs’ decision to designate for assignment outfielder Jordan Luplow and left-hander Caleb Smith were not surprises as both were arbitration-eligible and likely to be non-tendered.

Smith might have been tendered by the D-backs had he not suffered an elbow injury on the final day of the 2022 season.

SEPT. 26, 2002: BIG UNIT GETS WIN NO. 24

In his final regular-season start of the 2002 season, Randy Johnson dominated the Rockies to pick up his 24th win. Johnson, who would go on to win his fourth straight NL Cy Young Award that year, allowed two unearned runs and struck out eight while tossing a complete game in Arizona's 4-2 win.

A) Greg Colbrunn

Colbrunn played for the Marlins, Rockies and D-backs during his career. He hit for the cycle with Arizona on Sept. 18, 2002, against the Padres in San Diego.

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