Currently viewing the tag: "Daniel Palka"

Double Plus: Daniel Palka Traded for Chris Herrmann

On November 13, 2015 By

News of the trade that sent Daniel Palka to the Minnesota Twins for catcher (?) Chris Herrmann seemed to cause a bit of stir Tuesday afternoon. After all, it was the first trade of the offseason and everyone’s looking for a headline. The deal certainly caught Diamondbacks fans by surprise. And Palka was a guy they’d heard plenty about given …

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Double Plus: Rating the D-backs Prospect Landscape

On November 6, 2015 By

Yesterday, the third and final installment of the Diamondbacks Top 30 Prospects was released. Dansby Swanson grabbed the top spot ahead of familiar names Aaron Blair and Braden Shipley. Fellow 2015 draftee Alex Young came in fourth and Brandon Drury rounded out the top five. Ranking Young ahead of Drury wasn’t easy, but it came down to the value …

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2016 Diamondbacks Top Prospects: 11-20

On November 3, 2015 By

Last week we kicked off the Diamondbacks Top 30 with two posts, first a Primer, then Prospects 21-30. The back end of the list is difficult to compose as there isn’t much that distinguishes most players in that category. But this list, well, it’s entirely different as projected outcomes shift significantly from #20 through #11. There are guys …

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Jamie Westbrook and Daniel Palka Break Out for the Rawhide

On October 21, 2015 By

The third part of four reveals some surprising breakouts for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league system. Recent draftees have spent a few years in the minor by this point and several posted careers highs and put their names on the map. The ultimate upsides can be debated, but there’s plenty to see here, a good sign for a mediocre system.…

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Arizona Fall League Diamondbacks Preview

On September 7, 2015 By

Good news comes in many forms. Sometimes you get a raise or a promotion, sometimes you find an old Snickers from last Halloween in the bottom of your sock drawer (how’d it get there?) and sometimes you’re long-lost uncle from the Ivory Coast writes to tell you that you’ve inherited millions of dollars that can all be yours if you’ll …

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Westbrook, Diaz and Others Gaining Momentum in the Minors

On August 26, 2015 By

There’s been a ton of focus on the major league club around here and that’s for a good reason. They’re doing pretty well and certainly have blown those preseason expectations out of the water, plus they’re a pretty damn fun team to watch play baseball. The gears are still grinding in the minors, however, and it’s about time a few …

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Rawhide Pitching Their Way to the Top

On May 27, 2015 By

The Visalia Rawhide are off to a great start, and by great, I mean the highest winning percentage in baseball (.689, 31-14). Not just High-A baseball, but ALL of baseball, every affiliate level, including the majors. There’s nothing wrong with winning, even when wins aren’t the most important thing. But here we’re most interested in player development, and there appear …

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Visalia Rawhide (A+) 2015 Preview

On April 14, 2015 By

It’s hardly a secret, but Visalia is a disorienting place to play. It’s notorious for warping statistical outcomes and any time a batter’s performance exceeds expectations or a pitcher’s performance disappoints, it’s common to say, “well, hey, it was at Visalia.” In fact, the entire California League is brutal on pitchers and rewards hitters like no other.

That’s not a …

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Breakout Prospect Velazquez and Solid Pitching Power Silver Hawks

On October 7, 2014 By

In what would turn out to be the final season in Silver Hawks history, South Bend utilized a breakout season from shortstop prospect Andrew Velazquez and consistent pitching from the rotation and closer Silvino Bracho to make a playoff run. Although they lost in the first round of the Midwest League playoffs, the Diamondbacks’ full-season single a affiliate is yet …

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Minor League Update: Blair Promoted, Martinez Debuts

On May 14, 2014 By

The Diamondbacks have turned things around to a degree as of late, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on the future of the franchise. With the struggles of the team, there’s been a bit of a vacuum effect leading to a series of promotions. When Mike Bolsinger was sent down, Chase Anderson and Evan Marshall were called up. This …

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Minor League Update 4.23.14

On April 23, 2014 By

If you were with us last fall, you likely caught a few of these features and they’re back for the 2014 season. It’s never too early to look to the future, especially when you’re winning percentage is where it is for the Diamondbacks. So we’ll be checking in on the D’backs minor leagues all throughout the season, highlight the recent …

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Arizona’s Top 30 Prospects: #11-20

On October 24, 2013 By

On Tuesday, we released the beginning of our Top 30 Prospects series with numbers 21-30. If you missed it, check it out as there are some names there that have a chance to really move up in 2014. Today we move on to prospects 11-20, where we start to see some guys with real star power.  There’s a first-rounder …

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Minor League Review: Missoula Osprey

On September 10, 2013 By

Missoula Osprey

League: Pioneer League (Rookie)

Record: 31-42 (7th of 8 teams in the Pioneer League)

Runs Scored: 409 (7th of 8 teams)

Runs Allowed: 452 (t-4th of 8 teams)

Recap: the Osprey were plagued by poor staring pitching all season long. Of the team’s five regular starters, no one had an ERA under 4.50, showcasing the problems of the …

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Diamondbacks 2013 Draft Check-In

On August 27, 2013 By

About a month ago, Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com put together a remarkable article. I was skeptical, but Piecoro is not your average sports writer. He’s privy to the likes of advanced metrics and you can find his name popping up on FanGraphs from time to time. He’s an excellent source of Diamondbacks information and you really should read him.

This …

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