Ray has been working on his secondary pitches this offseason in addition to seeking ways to become more economical on the mound, the Arizona Republic reports.
While Ray racked up 218 strikeouts in 174.1 innings last season, he struggled with walks, which paired with a high batting average on balls in play fueled by a mix of hard contact and a subpar defense behind him translated to a 4.90 ERA. A healthy A.J. Pollock in center field should help the D-backs defense in 2017, but Ray's adjustments, which might include a more consistent third pitch to complement his fastball and slider, will likely go further in determining whether he can take another step forward this season.