Currently viewing the category: "Economics of Baseball"

Ketel Marte Wins, Diamondbacks Win, Baseball Maybe Doesn’t

On March 26, 2018 By

The Diamondbacks finally committed to at least one piece of their middle infield. After a rotation of middle infielders over the last several years, Ketel Marte figures to be a fixture for the next five. In his first season for the Diamondbacks, Marte got back to the form that had him pegged as one of the league’s good, young bright …

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D-backs Miss Martinez, Add Souza and Stay Flexible

On February 22, 2018 By

From a distance, you can convince yourself of almost anything. That person, way over there, looks like my brother. The dimensions are about right. Ball cap, easy body language, an effortless smile. Inching closer, some of those details begin to be called into question. The size is still about right, but the clothes aren’t quite. The smile is there, but …

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Maybe the Diamondbacks Can Keep A.J. Pollock After All

On January 23, 2018 By

For a very, very long time, we’ve talked about how the Diamondbacks have a vortex coming. It’s a financial vortex and one that’s not necessarily unique. The way the D-backs are constructed, they rely on young players producing value that far outpaces the team’s financial commitment in terms of salary. That means guys making the league minimum or advancing through …

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How Might Baseball’s New Market Impact the D-backs?

On January 18, 2018 By

The last two posts here have focussed on extending Diamondbacks first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt. The first installment crunched the numbers to seek a reasonable figure, for both Goldy and the team, to keep the slugger in Arizona past 2019. The second installment discussed the problems with even a relatively team-friendly deal, notably paying a sum of money annually to …

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Extending Paul Goldschmidt Won’t Be Easy (Part II)

On January 12, 2018 By

Last week I explored the possibility of a Paul Goldschmidt extension. If you didn’t read it, I think you should, but here’s the gist: the D-backs, if they act quickly, could save money by extending Goldy. To do so, however, they need to trade Zack Greinke sooner than later. That’s no small issue. No matter the discount, Arizona can’t …

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Re-Signing Paul Goldschmidt Won’t Be Easy (Part I)

On January 3, 2018 By

The #hotstove has been downright frigid for most of the winter. The Winter Meetings did kick up some activity, but not the heavy-hitting kind. J.D. Martinez is still out there. So are Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta and Lance Lynn. A trio of former Royals remain on the market in Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer, …

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Finding the Cash to Keep J.D. Martinez Won’t Be Easy

On September 13, 2017 By

There may be no hotter free agent this winter than J.D. Martinez. It’s easy to see why. He’s hit about ten million home runs since joining the Diamondbacks and has helped anchor a lineup that’s been a bit up and down over the last few weeks. With his deal expiring in the near future, fans are clamoring for Arizona …

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Can the D-backs Add a Big Piece at the Trade Deadline?

On July 11, 2017 By

If you would have told fans the Diamondbacks could be .500 at the All Star break, most would have gladly taken it. Five over? Even better. Ten over? Now you’ve got to kidding, right?  In reality, the team just got swept in Los Angeles and is still SEVENTEEN games over .500. It seems unreal. You know the reasons why …

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Playing the Long Game: How Can the D-backs Afford to Compete?

On May 1, 2017 By

Well, April was really something. The Diamondbacks looked competitive entering the season, but after seeing them on the field, the term “competitive” might come off as pejorative. “Dominant” would be too much, but there’s surely a descriptor in the middle somewhere. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have gotten off to a slower than expected start and the Giants are without Madison Bumgarner…

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The D-backs Are Trapped With Tomas

On February 2, 2017 By

The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting a little less buzz this offseason than they did a year ago. Spending big and falling on your face with do that to you. They’re not a sleeper like the Rockies may be, and they’re surely not front runners like Dodgers. The biggest move was trading away arguably their most productive player from last season’s …

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Is the Chris Sale Trade a Blueprint for Trading Paul Goldschmidt?

On December 19, 2016 By

In case you missed it, we published our Offseason Plan the week before last. In that piece we, like we have done every year, looked for ways to the make the Diamondbacks a better baseball team. As we started out we developed some large goals, ones that are hardly unique if you read this site regularly. Upgraded catching, more athletic …

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Shot Through the Heart: Fernando Rodney and the Ensuing Pandemonium

On December 9, 2016 By

We’ve known for a very long time that the Diamondbacks were in need of bullpen reinforcements. Things looked kind good in early 2016 with Daniel Hudson, Tyler Clippard, and Brad Ziegler all being better than average relief arms. That group was due to make something like $14.3 million in 2016, and while the triumvirate proved effective more often …

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The New CBA and Your Arizona Diamondbacks

On December 2, 2016 By

News broke late Wednesday night that owners and the Major League Players Association (MLBPA) had reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). This was good news because it means baseball will enjoy five more years of labor rest and a lockout was avoided. But as the terms began to leak out, well, the deal began to look …

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Diamondbacks Sell High on Jean Segura, Acquire Taijuan Walker

On November 23, 2016 By

The Diamondbacks got the hot stove going properly Wednesday night. A trade that sent Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger and Zac Curtis to the Mariners for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte is one hell of a way to start the offseason. I mean, no one saw that coming. As we’ve been working diligently on our Offseason Plan, I can let …

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Diamondbacks Do The Roster Dance

On November 22, 2016 By

There was a flurry of baseball moves from every organization on Friday. The Diamondbacks are one of those organizations, so they made some moves, too. As is the case this time of year each and every season, the team had significant work to do to their 40-man roster, which we covered a short while back. There were players that …

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The D-backs Have a Currency Deficiency

On November 11, 2016 By

Everyone wants to know what Mike Hazen is going to do. I’d throw my hat in that ring, too, but I understand that he’s had a boatload of work to do in reworking the front office and coaching staff. There’s been more turnover than just about anyone anticipated and filling those holes — re-crafting Arizona’s decision-making nucleus — has rightfully …

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