This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert’s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PHOENIX -- There are just about three weeks left before pitchers and catchers have their first workout at Salt River Fields -- that’s Feb. 14 if you want to mark it on your calendars -- and D-backs general manager Mike Hazen is still working to add pieces to his roster.

Arizona has made several moves to upgrade its roster -- adding left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and third baseman Eugenio Suárez, to name two of the bigger ones -- but there’s still at least one more thing on the to-do list: Find another bat.

Both the trade and free-agent markets have slowed in terms of the number of transactions, but Hazen thinks that could change soon.

“The trade market seems to be heating up a little bit more now,” Hazen said. “Conversations are happening a little more frequently. … I think things will start to speed up here with Spring Training right around the corner. I think the conversations have been more frequent than they had [been], which is natural after the holidays and then after arbitration.”

In past years, Hazen seemed hesitant to add a bat strictly to serve as a designated hitter, feeling that the DH spot could be better used to rotate among the position player group, giving guys a half-day off by not having them play in the field.

This offseason, though, he’s been more open minded about having a full-time DH.

“I don't necessarily know which way I like better,” Hazen said. “I see the value of both. We have options to consider [with] what exactly we would do.”

One thing that is for certain is that if the D-backs do invest in a full-time DH, it will be someone that can be a middle-of-the-order bat and not just a complementary one.

What does Hazen think his chances are of landing that type of bat?

“I have no idea,” he said. “I don't know. It's hard for me to gauge that. We're still very active in all of our conversations, but I just don't know.”

The D-backs are also still looking to add bullpen depth.

“We're going to still find ways to add, if we can, even if it's on a Minor League-type deal as we move closer to Spring Training,” Hazen said.