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The D-backs have several starting pitchers who fell short of expectations in 2016, and while Shelby Miller most likely headlines that list, Patrick Corbin was arguably the bigger disappointment. Before yielding 32 ER in his final 36 innings in 2013, Corbin was that ultra-rare thing: a pitcher who outperformed expectations in a D-backs uni. Since returning from UCL reconstruction …

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It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Kevin Towers was relieved of his duties and we all did the happy dance, more or less. Sure, Tony La Russa might have been an unconventional choice as a pseudo replacement, but he had a pretty compelling on-field record to back up the logic. The appointment of Dave Stewart was maybe a …

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Trades are funny. I mean, there’s such a wide range of responses no matter the deal. Trade Ian Kennedy for Matt Stites? Great move, save money. Bad move, Ian Kennedy eats innings. Trade Adam Eaton and Tyler Skaggs for Mark Trumbo? Bad move, Eaton and Skaggs are budding young players. Great move, DINGERZ. Trade Dansby Swanson, …

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There’s an axiom on the internet that simply states, “don’t read the comments.” I get that. Comment sections are littered with thoughtless, rude comments. Well, I should say most comment section, because here, things have been very good. I can’t even count the number of posts that have been born in the comments here. Readers have been a great inspiration …

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You surely know The Saga of Daniel Hudson by now. He’s been through more than his fair share of ups and downs — going from excellent young starter to double-Tommy John-recipient to nearly-washed-out big leaguer to very effective relief pitcher. The journey of his baseball life has weighed heavy on Hudson over the years, a fact revealed in his demeanor …

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The playoffs started yesterday, and that’s both good and bad. Playoff baseball is fun (good), but with every passing final box score, we’re reminded that the long, cold, dead, baseball-less winter is fast approaching (bad). The Jays beat the Orioles in a game that’ll remain notorious for Buck Showalter neglecting to use Zach Britton, the best reliever in baseball, …

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Last night, Jean Segura capped off a remarkable season a little early. I don’t mean to suggest he won’t be playing the rest of the season, as futile as it may be. He notched his 200th hit last night off of Gio Gonzalez (below), an infield chopper that Danny Espinosa couldn’t field cleanly and, in truth, a ball that would …

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Surviving one-run games is important in baseball. Day-in and day-out, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are going to be some close games. That’s just how it goes. And for every game won by a single run, there’s one lost on the other side of the ledger. And that’s just how it goes, too. Your odds of winning …

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It’s been a season full of growing pains in Arizona, a trend that applies almost universally. Perhaps only Jean Segura has been immune from performance issues in his reemergence. Paul Goldschmidt is hitting for less power. A.J. Pollock and David Peralta couldn’t stay on the field. Zack Greinke hasn’t lived up to expectations. Patrick Corbin is pitching well — …

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Jake Lamb has had an interesting breakout season in 2016. There have been some obvious highs and some unsightly lows. That’s how it goes for most guys, but with Lamb finally earning some time in the spotlight, we’ve had plenty of time to notice the trends one way or the other. There’s no denying he’s been good and his approach …

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Chris Owings is Useful Again

On September 12, 2016 By

The Diamondbacks are going to have a good dilemma on their hands this winter: figuring out where and how to utilize Chris Owings in 2017. Entering the season, it looked like Owings was more or less a lost cause. He was on the active roster because A.J. Pollock wasn’t and his valued was limited to just that of a oh-shit …

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The Diamondbacks have an okay offense if you look at it through the standard lens of runs scored. By that measurement, they’re 14th in baseball. But, consider they’ve played 68 games at Chase Field and 10 more at Coors Field. Those are run-producing parks, as we’ve said a thousand times by now, and if you want to take park factors …

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Time for a Checkup

On August 30, 2016 By

It’s important to take a step back sometimes. The view from 5,000 feet can be useful. Getting into the nitty gritty is mostly what we aim for here, but every once in a while you’ve really got to examine the whole thing. The Diamondbacks have been bad this year and everyone knows it. The team has stunk, the front office

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There have been few times when stats have screamed something at us the way they did with respect to Jake Lamb‘s work at High-A and Double-A; it seemed nearly certain that his minor league BABIPs revealed a sustainable source of extra bases, even though he didn’t have the home run numbers a power hitter typically shows at those levels. …

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It’s funny how easy it is to lose sight of a great player when that player is routinely great. As good as Paul Goldschmidt is, one can lose sight of his production when looking for storylines. It’s only when he gets off to a slow start or hits a walk off home run that we stop and take notice. One …

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I’ve been excited about Brandon Drury for quite some time. When Justin Upton was sent to what would become a receptacle for useful Diamondbacks (also commonly referred to as “the Braves”), Randall Delgado was sort of “the big get” in return. While rumors swirled that Kevin Towers had his choice of Delgado or Julio Teheran, it was Delgado that …

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