The Arizona Diamondbacks offered John Lackey a minor league deal this past winter, but he rejected it.

The offer came with no guarantee that Lackey would earn a spot in the starting rotation.

The spot eventually went to Clay Buchholz.

"I don't bring that up to him now," Buchholz says, "because he's a lot bigger than me. I don't want to make him mad. But Lackey is a bulldog. I fully expect him to be with some club at some point this year. I know for a fact that he still works out and keeps his body ready.

"But I also know he's enjoying his life, too."