If you’re like me, you were underwhelmed by the minor leaguers that the Diamondbacks received in return for Gerardo Parra (Brewers) and Martin Prado (Yankees). But that doesn’t necessarily mean the trades were bad for the club. We learned last week from Tony La Russa (via Steve Gilbert) that the D-backs were open to the possibility of putting …
Continue Reading →So, the Diamondbacks made some trades yesterday and acquired some pieces in return. I don’t want to get too in-depth on the trades themselves, but I’d like to review what the team received in return for outfielder Gerardo Parra and third baseman Martin Prado. It should noted that the team saved $1.6M this year in dealing Parra, plus whatever …
Continue Reading →The trade deadline is tomorrow. The Diamondbacks have been sellers since early June. No one is wondering where the Diamondbacks stand in this whole equation. Let’s just start by establishing who’s been traded:
- Joe Thatcher and Tony Campana to the Angels for Zack Borenstein and Joey Krehbiel
- Brandon McCarthy to the Yankees for Vidal Nuno
And let’s just follow that …
Continue Reading →At a time in baseball when it seems like everyone is swinging and missing, Martin Prado is doing the opposite. We have noted several times on this site, the strange counter-nature of Prado’s approach at the plate. He is like a Dos Equis commercial; he doesn’t swing very often, but when he does, he prefers to make contact.
Of course …
Continue Reading →The Diamondbacks have too many infielders. Still. This logjam has been well-documented, but there have been no moves to relieve the pressure. Depth isn’t a bad thing, per se, but when the team has glaring needs, there’s no reason to be building a large reserve of infielders. Because first base is spoken for, there are three infield spots …
Continue Reading →Attempting to draw up and execute an all-encompassing plan for the trade deadline is a bit like forming a battle plan while the battle is already raging. But we’re taking a run at it, because we’re good like that.
It’s a foregone conclusion that the D-backs will be sellers at the deadline this year. We know the front office has …
Continue Reading →Building a major league roster is a lot like building a sandcastle while the tide is coming in. Focus on some positions to the detriment of others, and you’ll never complete it adequately. Take too little care in order to complete it sooner, and you’ll never win the contest. One must be methodical and effective — and also realistic about …
Continue Reading →Even in a subpar season in which they rank just 26th in the majors in on-base percentage and 29th in walks (worst in the NL), the D-backs have had plenty of base runners. The D-backs have the worst base running marks in the National League, however, and being more aggressive could pay serious dividends in propping up the …
Continue Reading →As Jeff Wiser showed us yesterday, Martin Prado is among the D-backs position players who have not performed as well as expected so far this season. Jeff pointed out that Prado has started slow before, and so there may be no reason to sound the alarm. He’s certainly more valuable a player than he’s seemed so far in 2014 …
Continue Reading →There have been a lot of complaints about player performance thus far into 2014. Most of those complaints have been warranted and the Diamondbacks’ winning percentage reflects this. The season is more than just underway now, and to keep saying “it’s still early” is doing everyone a disservice. It’s not still early, we’re approaching some pretty serious cutoffs where the …
Continue Reading →Hitting with two strikes is hard. As if baseball isn’t hard enough already, when down two strikes, the pitcher is generally in solid control of an at-bat. For example, the 2012 league leader in batting with two strikes were the Angels, who happened to lead the majors in total offense (measured by wRC+). How well did the most potent offense …
Continue Reading →Sometimes, it’s not hard to know what GM Kevin Towers is thinking. In the most recent offseason, the team was very public about its desires to add a power-hitting outfielder and a front-line starter. In the offseason before that, it was the desire to trade a power-hitting outfielder.
Whether stating your priorities to the world helps potential trade partners come …
Continue Reading →In sabermetric circles, you frequently hear that the ideal lineup is worth only five to fifteen runs over the average lineup. But five to fifteen runs is more than nothing, even over the course of the season, and lineup construction also happens to be fun to talk about. My preferred lineups — and justification — are below.
Lots to …
Continue Reading →*Previous entries: Steamer Projections Primer | 2014 Rotation | 2014 Outfield | 2014 Bullpen
While the 2013 Diamondbacks outfield had some great defensive performances, the infield led the way offensively. #MVPaul did most of that damage as he became one of baseballs true young stars. Aaron Hill was very good when healthy and Martin Prado, despite some down months, …
Continue Reading →Major League Baseball rosters expand on September 1, enabling teams to carry up to 40 players, provided they are on the 40-man roster. If you’re rusty on the mechanics of the 40-man and protecting players from the winter Rule V Draft, check out this mlb.com summary. In terms of guessing at what Arizona might do this year, the main …
Continue Reading →The Diamondbacks went 5-1 in their last six games, abusing the Orioles before gutting out a series win in Pittsburg. The Orioles series could not have had more drama, with walkoff hits in all three games by three different players. In comparison to “the walkoff series,” the wins against the Pirates were almost garden variety; and yet the Diamondbacks posted …
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