Posts by: RG

Position Players Gone Wrong: 2014 ZiPS Projections Versus Reality

On October 16, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks went 64-98 this season. Not pretty. ZiPS projected them to finish around .500, with 22 wins above replacement coming from their starting position players. Let me put in perspective just how off base the projections were. A team full of replacement-level players is supposed to win 47.7 games in a full season. The Diamondbacks won 64 games, meaning …

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The Awkward Outfield(er)

On September 29, 2014 By

Last offseason, Arizona’s former general manager talked about how the team needed a slugger. The team subsequently traded for Mark Trumbo. Well, year one of the Mark Trumbo era was a failure from both an individual and team perspective. We all know about the D-backs’ struggles by now, and Trumbo, playing in only 87 games due to injury, produced …

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D-backs Starting Pitchers Too Homer Happy

On September 22, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks’ starting rotation has the third-worst FIP in the National League. If you’ve been watching this season, you’re probably not surprised by this statistic. The starting rotation is sporting a 4.41 ERA collectively. Surely, it needs to be better than that in order for the team to regain relevance. It seems like drastic changes are needed.

Yet, by looking …

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Three Things to Watch For

On September 8, 2014 By

It has been a miserable season for the Diamondbacks. That’s been the case from the get-go – a horrendous start to the season dashed our hopes. Mercifully, the regular season ends in the three weeks. With an oddball cast of regulars and a suspect starting rotation, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to continue watching the D-backs. Take Sunday’s …

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How Much of Vidal Nuno’s Performance is Real, and How Much is Luck?

On August 25, 2014 By

Since arriving in Arizona, Vidal Nuno has been a pleasant surprise. In nine starts, he has posted a 3.54 ERA, 3.81 FIP, and 7.1 K/9. They’re nothing to write home about, but these statistics are that of a middle of the rotation starter. Upon his arrival, Nuno was pegged as a back-end starter at best. He throws a four-seam fastball …

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Don’t Share Trade Secrets

On August 18, 2014 By

Another trade deadline has passed. As you probably already know, the D-backs shipped off a few players, including Gerardo Parra, Martin Prado, and Brandon McCarthy. Throughout the Kevin Towers era, there have been mixed results on the trade front. There have been good trades: Towers acquired Aaron Hill and Brad Ziegler in two separate, successful deals. But …

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Can Retooling Work?

On July 21, 2014 By

Last week I wrote about trading Miguel Montero. Trading him would mean the Diamondbacks are heading towards a complete rebuild. Starting over is painful; it takes time and patience. Understandably, pulling the trigger on a complete rebuild is not easy.

Many people, including me, believe the Diamondbacks could be a playoff team with better starting pitching. The starters are …

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Why Trading Montero Makes Sense

On July 18, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks are in disarray. The starting pitching is a mess, and the bullpen is shaky. The team’s win-loss record reflects these issues. Meanwhile, the team’s payroll is the highest it has been in years. The horrid record and high payroll were not supposed to coincide. This situation begs for the D-backs to trade expensive, veteran players for young talent. …

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With the Season Lost, How Should the D-backs Align Their Outfield?

On July 14, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks have five outfielders on their active roster. Gerardo Parra, Mark Trumbo, and Cody Ross have all spent time as starting outfielders. Rookies Ender Inciarte and David Peralta are looking to establish themselves are legitimate major-league players. A month ago I wrote about the effects of the injuries to the outfield. Now, the rookies have played well …

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Chase Anderson Needs to Throw More Sinkers

On June 30, 2014 By

At one point, the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation was supposed to consist of Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley, Bronson Arroyo, Brandon McCarthy, and Trevor Cahill. All signs pointed to Randall Delgado being the sixth starter. Unfortunately, things have not gone according to plan. As July begins, nine different pitchers have started a game this season for the …

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Bullpens and One-Run Games

On June 23, 2014 By

Jeff’s post last week about how bad the Diamondbacks have been with runners in scoring position got me thinking. He explained that there is no such thing as clutch hitting. I wholeheartedly agree. I wondered if good relievers could make a team’s pitching more clutch. My idea was that better relievers would hunker down, especially in close games, and it …

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The Pain of Replacement Outfielders

On June 16, 2014 By

Mark Trumbo, A.J. Pollock, Cody Ross, and Gerardo Parra were supposed to man the outfield this season. As anyone who has ever done anything knows, things don’t always go according to plan. Mark Trumbo broke his foot near the end of April and has been out ever since. A.J. Pollock got hit on the hand by a …

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Explaining the Recent Success of Randall Delgado and Trevor Cahill

On June 9, 2014 By

When the season began, Trevor Cahill and Randall Delgado made up two-fifths of the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation.  By mid-April both had been relegated to the bullpen. Cahill was likely on a short leash after an inconsistent 2013 campaign. Similarly, the club indicated that they did not envision Randall Delgado as a starter; he was not projected to crack the rotation …

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Brandon McCarthy: More Speed, More Strikeouts

On June 2, 2014 By

During spring training we often hear about new workout regimens, new pitches, or some other sort of improvement from players. Brandon McCarthy was no exception as he talked about a new training regimen. McCarthy’s increased velocity this season has convinced everyone that his new training program is intense. He threw his four-seam fastball 1.21 MPH faster this April versus April …

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Evan Marshall Trusted Already, For Good Reason

On May 26, 2014 By

Earlier this month, the Diamondbacks called up Evan Marshall from Triple-A.  Since being called up, he has been placed in a variety of high-leverage situations and succeeded at a high level: in 8.2 innings, Evan Marshall has yet to give up an earned run. This level of run prevention is not sustainable, but Marshall clearly has the chance to become …

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Towers and Cahill Decline in Unison

On April 15, 2014 By

Trevor Cahill was relegated to the bullpen yesterday, with Michael Bolsinger set to take his spot in the rotation. His last start was the tipping point in what has been a gradual decline since he first arrived in Arizona. There is no doubt that he has been bad in his four starts, but he’s been the victim of bad luck …

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