Posts by: RG

J.J. Putz and Declining Fastball Velocity

On April 8, 2014 By

So far, the Diamondbacks have only brought J.J. Putz into games they have been losing. This seems strange for a man with 189 saves, but the problem is that, in his age-37 season, his velocity has declined. The worries started last April, when he blew four saves. Then he got hurt and missed almost two months. When Putz returned from …

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Brandon McCarthy’s New Repertoire

On April 1, 2014 By

Last night Brandon McCarthy started the home opener for the Diamondbacks. He pitched six and two-thirds innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs. Not the result he hoped for, but there were interesting changes I want to note. One start is too small of a sample size to draw any statistical conclusions, but we can see a change …

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

On March 25, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks lost their first two regular season games. The Dodgers won in convincing fashion. Clayton Kershaw was the story in Game 1, giving up only one run in nearly seven innings of work. Game 2 featured an implosion by Trevor Cahill – he gave up eight hits and four walks in four plus innings. These games are especially discouraging …

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Starting Pitching Depth and the Arroyo Signing

On March 18, 2014 By

Before Patrick Corbin got hurt, I wanted to write about—ironically enough—the team’s starting pitching depth. The average team uses ten different starting pitchers over the course of a season. Bronson Arroyo was signed to solidify the rotation. Critics of the Arroyo signing have conceded that he is durable, but commented that he was simply providing league average performance. Sometimes league …

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Archie Bradley Slated to Pitch Exhibition Game in Australia

On March 11, 2014 By

Archie Bradley has been slated to start the Diamondbacks’ exhibition game in Australia. Considering the Diamondbacks are trying to make an organizational impact in Australia, taking Bradley is a great idea. His pitching is impressive, and he is a physical specimen. This is also a good opportunity for Bradley to get comfortable with the team in case of a call-up …

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Corbin and Cahill to Pitch in Australia

On March 4, 2014 By

Yesterday Kirk Gibson pegged Patrick Corbin and Trevor Cahill as his starters for the opening series in Australia. Corbin was an easy choice; he was the Diamondbacks best pitcher in 2013. The selection of Cahill was a bit more surprising. Wade Miley had a better year than Cahill, but Cahill actually seems like the right choice. The Dodgers have not …

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Hope for Hernandez?

On February 25, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks’ bullpen blew twenty-nine saves last year. Twenty-nine. That’s too many (tied for first in MLB); you don’t need Bill James to tell you that. David Hernandez was a factor in the bullpen’s unreliability. After coming over from Baltimore in the Mark Reynolds trade, Hernandez was valuable in the bullpen in 2011 and 2012. He struck out batters at …

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Did the D-backs Get Fair Value for David Holmberg?

On February 18, 2014 By

There was an uproar over the Bronson Arroyo signing two weeks ago. Arroyo is supposed to provide starting pitching depth by pushing Delgado out of the rotation and moving all the minor league pitchers one spot further from the majors.

The Diamondbacks used to have depth, however, in the form of prospects Tyler Skaggs and David Holmberg. Ryan wrote a …

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What can we expect from Wade Miley in 2014?

On February 11, 2014 By

In 2012, Wade Miley broke onto the scene with a 3.15 FIP and 4.4 WAR, nearly winning the NL’s Rookie of the Year award. The lefty’s peripherals were good in his first season as well. He walked only 1.71 batters per nine innings and gave up only 0.65 home runs per nine. His BABIP was almost exactly in line with …

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Diamonds in the Rough

On January 28, 2014 By

When the Arizona Diamondbacks pursued Masahiro Tanaka, they displayed their newfound financial flexibility. Now that Matt Garza has been signed, the best free agent starting pitcher left is either Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez. If the rumors that Towers offered Tanaka a $120 million are true, then the D-backs should be able to afford any of the remaining starting pitchers.…

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Trevor Cahill: Consistently Inconsistent

On January 21, 2014 By

In 2013 Trevor Cahill did not live up to expectations. He pitched only 146.2 innings, with an ERA of 3.99 and FIP of 4.26. He gave up a career-high 3.99 walks per nine innings. Cahill has struggled with walks throughout his career, but this is an alarmingly high rate. In 2012, Cahill gave 74 walks in 200 innings. Last year? …

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Diamondbacks ZiPS Notes, Part 2: Cahill, Corbin, and Crew

On January 12, 2014 By

Ryan delved into the ZiPS projections for the position players on Friday, and it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t show the pitchers any love. A few things stand out when comparing ZiPS to the Steamer projections and the 2013 campaign.

Trevor Cahill:

After Cahill was worth less than one win in 2013, it’s encouraging for Dbacks fans to see …

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In Bounceback Candidate Delgado, Arizona Has a Reason Not to Sign a Non-Elite Starter

On January 6, 2014 By

It’s no secret that Arizona’s starting pitchers struggled in 2013. They were tenth in the NL in ERA compared to other starting staffs. With position players that provided an above average offense and top-tier defense, the place with most room for improvement is within the pitching staff. There has already been turnover amongst the relievers, and the rumors indicate Arizona …

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Brandon McCarthy in 2013

On December 29, 2013 By

In 2013, Brandon McCarthy pitched 135 innings, going 5-11 with a 4.53 ERA. When the Diamondbacks signed him before the 2013 season, they knew that it was unlikely the right-handed would pitch a full season. McCarthy had pitched more than 140 innings only once in the majors, and logged only 111 innings in 2012. But, with a career ERA of …

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