44 replies to this topic

[dylanmarsh]

¡Los Dbacks de Arizona!

The Diamondbacks finished 2008 with a record of 82-80 - a measly 2 games back of the Dodgers for the NL West title. Injuries largely contributed to Arizona's failure to win a second consecutive division title as 11 players spent anywhere from two weeks to three months on the DL. The highlight, of course, was on June 30th when Chris Snyder fulfilled his contractual obligation to the devil and gave his left nut for a starting catching position in the majors. Somehow, he only missed 19 days with that "injury".

The Dbacks' offseason was focused on finances. In November, they laid-off 31 employees, while maintaining 90% of ticket prices at or below 2008 levels for 2009. Arizona also decided to forego pursuing its own free agents, after only offering arbitration to three (Hudson, Lyon, and Cruz) and watching all of them move to different cities. The biggest offseason news, though, was the Dbacks pimping themselves out to Phoenix-area cities, towns, and tribes to get a new Spring Training facility. The Diamondbacks currently train in Tucson at Hi Corbett Field, which they share with the Rockies. However, this facility was last renovated in 1999 and both clubs have expressed frustration over its dated condition. The Rockies asked for upwards of $20M in renovations from Pima County. In response, the county has proposed chartering a sports authority but that would require a legislative act and approval of the county's voters. While the Dbacks have not officially stated they are leaving Tucson, they are doing "their due diligence".

In 2009, the Diamondbacks hope their financial and injury problems are behind them. Jeff Moraad, the former player agent, left his CEO position with the Dbacks to purchase the Padres. In his place, Dbacks President Derrick Hall assumed CEO duties. Hall worked his way up through the organization, after leaving the Dodgers in 2004, and took over as President in September 2006. Hall has publicly stated he intends to put fans first and maintain the team's 2008 goal of $165M in revenues.

Off-Season Additions

MI Felipe Lopez

• FA signing 12/12/08 - 1 year/$3.5M

MI Josh Wilson

• FA signing 12/5/08 - minor league deal

RHP Jon Garland

• FA signing 1/29/09 - 1 year/$7.25M, plus mutual 2010 option

RHP Tom Gordon

• FA signing 2/6/09 - 1 year/$500K with a variety of incentives

LHP Scott Schoeneweis

• Acquired from Mets 12/12/08 along with $1.6M towards his 2009 salary ($3.6M) for RHP Connor Robertson

LHP Travis Blackley

• FA signing 12/19/08 - 1 year/$405K (split contract with $105K in minors)

RHP Bobby Korecky

• Claimed off of waivers from Minnesota 2/18/09

C James Skelton

• Selected from Detroit in the Rule 5 draft 12/11/08

Off-Season Departures

RHP Brandon Lyon

• (Tigers - 1 year/$4.25M plus incentives)

2B Orlando Hudson

• (Dodgers - 1 year/$3.38M plus incentives)

LHP Randy Johnson

• (Giants - 1 year/$8M plus incentives)

1B/OF Adam Dunn

• (Nationals - 2 years/$20M)

RHP Juan Cruz

• (Royals - 2 years/$6M plus a club option for 2010)

Projected Rotation

RHP Brandon Webb
RHP Dan Haren
LHP Doug Davis
RHP Jon Garland
RHP Max Schrezer

Projected Bullpen

RHP Chad Qualls (Closer)
RHP Jon Rauch
RHP Tony Pena
RHP Tom Gordon
LHP Scott Schoeneweis
RHP Jailen Peguero
RHP Yusmeiro Petit

Projected Lineup*

1. 2B Felipe Lopez
2. SS Stephen Drew
3. CF Chris Young
4. LF Conor Jackson
5. RF Justin Upton
6. 1B Chad Tracy
7. 3B Mark Reynolds
8. C Chris Snyder

*Manager Bob Melvin has never been comfortable sticking with one line-up, so don't be surprised to see 50 different variations on it.

Projected Reserves

C Miguel Montero
INF Josh Wilson
1B Tony Clark
OF Eric Byrnes
OF Alex Romero
UTIL Augie Ojeda

As Corsi will tell you, Montero has the biggest upside of this group. The rest are re-treads with Byrnes being the biggest threat to take over a starting OF spot.


2009 Diamondbacks Top 10 Prospects according to Baseball America

• RHP Jarrod Parker
• OF Gerardo Parra
• LHP Daniel Schlereth
• SS/2B Mark Hallberg
• LHP Wade Miley
• RHP Kevin Eichhorn
• RHP Cesar Valdez
• RHP Billy Buckner
• OF Collin Cowgill
• SS Reynaldo Navarro

Buena suerte, Dbacks fans!

Edited by dylanmarsh, 22 October 2009 - 02:35 PM.

[dylanmarsh]

D-Backs' bullpen not ready

Then there is the competition for the three open bullpen spots. Right-hander Yusmeiro Petit has been outstanding, and Billy Buckner has been mostly solid, but right-hander Juan Gutierrez and lefty Doug Slaten have been inconsistent, and lefty Travis Blackley has been just fair in his outings.

[dylanmarsh]

Yesterday, Eric Byrnes saw his first game action in 9 1/2 months after going on the DL with torn hamstrings - yes, that right, both hamstrings. Byrnes opted not to have surgery and has been going through rehab. Despite being the highest paid Diamondback, he's likely to start the season on the bench. Folks around here are still bitter about signing Byrnes and trading Carlos Quentin. Byrnes went 0-3 against the Angels, but was running at full speed, according to the article.

Byrnes looked like his normal self. He was aggressive at the plate - "That's the hitter I am," he said - and in each at-bat he burst out of the box at what looked like full speed, rounding first as if he were thinking extra bases. But each out was a fly ball to left field, one hit more solidly than the others.

Byrnes makes his spring debut - AZ Republic

[dylanmarsh]

Scherzer makes progress, finds strike zone

The results still weren't there for right-hander Max Scherzer, but this time it wasn't so much for a lack of command, making it an overall positive day for Diamondbacks' fifth starter.

"Not because of the results but because of how I was able to feel about the strike zone," he said. "Last time I was all over the place. I don't know what the cause was, but that's how it goes your first time out. Today it was better and hopefully next time out it's a little bit better."

Max's line from said game: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

[dylanmarsh]

Proposals flood in for D-Backs' new facility

It sounds like things are beginning to get nasty between the Diamondbacks and Pima County (where their ST facility is located). According to the article, the Dbacks and Rockies are under contract with Tucson until 2012, but that there's an escape clause that would allow the clubs to leave early. With a reported 8 bids from Maricopa County based entities, including 3 from Indian tribes, it would appear Pima County is in a bad negotiating position.

For those who aren't familiar with Arizona, the heart of Pima County is located 100+/- miles south of the metro-Phoenix area. In recent years, there's been a "big brother-little brother" spat between Pima and Maricopa Counties, particularly at the legislative level. Many Pima legislators (and residents) feel Maricopa County legislators dictate policy for all of Arizona, while ignoring everything outside of metro-Phoenix. The Dbacks ST situation seems to be adding to the discourse.

[dylanmarsh]

Webb on Manny

Asked if he was certain that Ramirez isn't capable of duplicating last season's performance, Webb held firm in his assertion.

"No, I honestly don't think so - unless it's a video game," said Webb, who is in line to pitch against Ramirez and the Dodgers on Saturday.

I'm not sure what Webb's going for here, but he obviously doesn't respect PS3 version of Manny. My guess is that he's programmed his sliders to even out Manny's bat.

[dylanmarsh]

Dbacks Opening Day Roster

Pitchers

• Brandon Webb - SP
• Dan Haren - SP
• Doug Davis - SP (LHP)
• Jon Garland - SP
• Juan Gutierrez - RP
• Yusmeiro Petit - RP
• Scott Schoeneweis - RP (LHP)
• Doug Slaten - RP (LHP)
• Billy Buckner - RP
• Tony Pena - SU
• Jon Rauch - SU
• Chad Qualls - CL

Positional

• Chris Snyder - C
• Chad Tracy - 1B
• Felipe Lopez - 2B
• Mark Reynolds - 3B
• Stephen Drew - SS
• Conor Jackson - LF
• Chris Young - CF
• Justin Upton - RF
• Miguel Montero - C
• Tony Clark - 1B
• Augie Ojeda - UTIL
• Ryan Roberts - UTIL
• Eric Byrnes - OF

DL

• Max Scherzer - scheduled to come off DL when the DBacks need a 5th starter
• Tom Gordon - supposed to be ready by mid-May

[SloppySeconds]

With the resignation of Tom Garfinkel per the latest press release.

http://arizona.diamo...a...sp&c_id=ari


I'd speculate that Cullen Maxey will be the new COO.

San Diego fans can probably expect an announcement that Garfinkel will be the Padres new President.

[dylanmarsh]

Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark got the season off to a good start for the Diamondbacks and gave us seamheaded fans of useless trivia a thrill, homering from each side of the plate in a wildly entertaining 9-8 win over the Rockies that featured eight balls hit out of Chase Field. It was the first time that two switch-hitting teammates pulled the daily reverse double on Opening Day and the first since Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams did it for the Yankees on April 23, 2000.

Lopez and Clark secure their place in baseball lore

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Webb to the DL

Brandon Webb was placed on the DL Sunday after complaining of shoulder stiffness following his dreadful opening day start. Webb faced the Colorado Rockies at home and produced a line of 4.0IP 6H 6ER 2BB 2SO 2HR.

The 29-year-old righty underwent an MRI exam, which showed no structural problems, but Arizona's team physician diagnosed the pitcher with bursitis.

He will be placed on the 15 day disabled list and is expected to be back the 22nd for a rematch against the Rockies.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Max Scherzer to start tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals. The 24 year old is looking to make his first start of the year after starting the season on the 15 day DL. The highly touted prospect was 0-4 in 2008 but showed promise with a 3.05 ERA 10.61 K/9 and 3.14 K/BB.

4/14 STL @ ARZ

	STL		ARZ
Tuesday 9:05 PM	RHP Chris Carpenter	1-0, 7IP 7SO 1H 2BB	RHP Max Scherzer	1st Start of '09

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 23 April 2009 - 10:35 AM.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Justin Upton has struggled heavily at the start of '09. Yes I know it's just a week but his swing looks all sorts of screwed up and it is looking like Arizona might drop him down for a couple of weeks to see if he can get this sorted out. Jason Grey writes on his fantasy impact:

Upton is apparently hitting some bumps on the way to stardom. A popular breakout pick this season, Upton has been sitting out some games to start the season, and when he has played, he's gone 0-for-9 with five strikeouts. The rumblings are getting a little louder that he may not be in the big leagues to stay in the short term. Let's be clear, Upton is still very much a future superstar, but he's 21, and we may be expecting too much too soon. I still think Upton is going to have some good impact this season, even if it requires some Triple-A time to get things sorted out. If someone is panicking early and drops him or is offering him up in a trade for pennies on the dollar, and you have a spot available to stash him away, by all means do so. The upside is too tantalizing not to take a chance on, even if we may wind up being a bit premature on the breakout. When you take a risk, you want the potential of a big return

Also Arizona GM Josh Byrnes weighs in:

"Justin's extremely talented and we have tremendous belief in that talent," general manager Josh Byrnes said. "But he has to make some adjustments, like any player. He realizes we have a roster, at this point, where performance will determine playing time." Byrnes wouldn't answer questions about the short-term plans for Upton regarding a potential demotion to Triple-A, but it's a very real possibility if he's unable to hit enough to stay in the lineup regularly.

So far he has started the season 0-12 with 6 Ks and 1 BB. Hopefully this guy can turn it around because he has a ton of upside.

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 14 April 2009 - 10:53 AM.

[dylanmarsh]

It's all Rick Schu's fault

The Diamondbacks are just barely into the second week of the season and already, fans are starting to call for the dismissal of hitting coach Rick Schu.

As for Schu, who has been a batting instructor in the organization since the team's inception and is in his second stint as the club's hitting coach, his job seems safe for now.

"He's got the organization's confidence, the players' confidence and the manager's confidence," Melvin said.

But if the Diamondbacks continue to sputter at the plate, where they were hitting .225 with a league-worst .282 on-base percentage, Schu will keep hearing calls for his job.

Since there's not much else to talk about the first week of baseball, let's be reactionary, grab our pitchforks and torches, and head for Rick Schu's house. Seriously? When the Dbacks won the division in 2007, there was zero talk about their hitting woes. Last year, the Dbacks actually improved their overall stats, while missing the playoffs. So coupling 2008's output with the first week of 2009 means the Dbacks should fire Schu?

One the biggest reasons the Dbacks failed to make the playoffs last year was their bullpen. In 2007, Dbacks starters compiled 84 quality starts and the bullpen converted 77% of the save chances (15 blown saves). In 2008, Dbacks led MLB with 95 quality starts and the bullpen converted only 63% of save chance (23 blown saves). So far in 2009, the bullpen has blown two saves, while sporting a 6.92 ERA.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Recap - vs. St. Louis 4/13-4/15

The Diamondbacks lost their third straight series of the season as the team fell to 3-6 overall. At this point of the season there is really no one place to point a finger for all the blame. They are struggling at all aspects of the game: 19th in RS, 25th in Team ERA, and they have already committed 7 errors on the season (league leaders have 8). They lost the first game of the series after a terrific start by Doug Davis, 8IP 2ER 5SO 1.00 Whip. They left 6 men on base and were impatient to the result of 0BBs through 9 innings. The return of Max Scherzer was the big news in the second game of the series. He kept his team in it but only lasted 5 innings while recording only 1 K. Overshadowing his return was Justin Upton who hit his first Line Drive of the season. This in turn was also his first hit of the season, and it was just enough as he scored the winning run on an Eric Byrnes 2 out RBI single in the 10th. The last game of the series resulted in the offense showing up (7 RS 10H 7XBH) while the Pitching (12R 7BB 1 SO) and defense (3 errors) decided to take the night off.

Who's Hot

			AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	Felipe Lopez	Season Stats	38	2	.368	.415	.632	1.046

Who's Not

			IP	H	ER	BB	SO	DEC
	Jon Garland	Last Start	3.2	7	7	5	0	L(1-1)

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 23 April 2009 - 10:34 AM.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Arizona @ San Francisco 4/17-4/19

		AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	RPG
	Batting	.241	.303	.425	.728	4.22
	Batting	.236	.288	.364	.653	3.88
	MLB	.259	.337	.427	.763	4.78
		ERA	SO/9	BB/9	BAA	RAPG
	Pitching	6.04	5.71	3.84	.262	6.44
	Pitching	6.01	8.29	4.94	.292	5.75
	MLB	4.80	7.11	3.91	.260	4.78

Arizona @ San Francisco 4/17-4/19

Friday 4/17	Dan Haren	(0-2 2.08ERA 7.62K/9 3.67K/BB)	Jonathan Sanchez	(0-1 9.64ERA 13.50K/9 1.40K/BB)
Saturday 4/18	Doug Davis	(0-2 4.15ERA 6.69K/9 1.8-K/BB)	Tim Lincecum	(0-1 7.56ERA 10.80K/9 1.67K/BB)
Sunday 4/19	Max Scherzer	(0-0 5.40ERA 1.80K/9 0.50K/BB)	Randy Johnson	(0-2 11.42ERA 12.5K/9 3.00K/BB)

Notes: Dan Haren has pitched two excellent games and gotten the loss in both, hopefully the team can bounce back and give him some offensive support this time around.

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 23 April 2009 - 10:34 AM.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

As Dylan mentioned in the first post of this thread, there are 2 corner outfield slots currently being pursued by 3 players. Their games played are as follows:

LF
Conor Jackson 7 GS
Eric Byrnes 2 GS

RF
Justin Upton 6 GS
Eric Byrnes 3 GS

Not one of these players is showing that they deserve a starting position over the others. All three are off to very slow starts, but by digging a little deeper it seems that they have all been hit with a curse of bad luck.

Corner Outfielders

Pos	Player	Age	AB	OPS	PrOPS	OPS-PrOPS	babip
LF	Conor Jackson	26	32	.669	.747	-.078	.250
RF	Justin Upton	21	19	.385	.509	-.104	.182
OF	Eric Byrnes	33	20	.580	.932	-.352	.111

Eric Byrnes is currently one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball this season. He is currently in the top ten for worst OPS-PrOPS at -.352 while his babip is sure to rise from it's current .111. Being only 21 Upton is facing the most pressure because if his struggles continue he could be on a train headed up to Reno to see if he can work on his swing. I believe Bob Melvin has currently set up the best rotation for these three. Giving Conor Jackson the most playing time as he has been the most consistent (7 RBIs), while letting Upton get in his ABs until he can turn it around.

Justin Upton
The Good
In only his second year he is currently the 2nd youngest player in the NL. He is still seeing a good amount of pitches per plate appearance at 4.14 (MLB 3.85) and his walk percentages 9.1% are still close to his averages (11.3% MLB 9.3%). From his aforementioned OPS-PrOPS (-.104) and Babip (.11) he has been very unlucky. He plays above average defense and doesn't make bad outs on the base paths.

The Ugly
Where to begin? Line Drive Rate of 9% is far below his career and the current MLB average of 19%. His slugging is an abysmal .158 with only 1 XBH. Upton has always been one to go down from the K (29.0%), but this year he has reached an all time low. His K rate is at 36.4% double the MLB average of 18.1%.

The Diamondbacks would love for these three to all get, and earn, significant playing time throughout the year. There luck is bound to change sooner rather than later, but can their young stud find his swing. We will see how this race develops.

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 23 April 2009 - 10:34 AM.

[JohnnyK]

Notes: Dan Haren has pitched two excellent games and gotten the loss in both, hopefully the team can bounce back and give him some offensive support this time around.

He has got to be the unluckiest pitcher in the majors so far.
In 19 innings he has a 1.83 ERA (2.67 FIP), 17/3 S/BB, 0.79 WHIP - and a record of 0-3 because the offense has so far scored a single run for him. Against the Rockies yesterday he allowed just 3 baserunners - but one of them was a Tulo HR which turned out to be enough to give him the loss.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Recap - at San Francisco 4/17-4/19

The Diamondbacks pitching staff held the Giants to 4 runs over the three game road trip. Arizona decided to one up them by recording only 2 runs on 11 hits dropping their fourth straight series to start off the season. Again this team is having a hard time getting the whole team to show up and this time out they decided to leave their bats in Arizona. In the first game of the series, winless Arizona Pitcher Dan Haren pitched his 3rd quality start of the season only to receive no run support. Haren must be one of, if not the most unluckiest pitchers in the majors. As noted above:

In 19 innings he has a 1.83 ERA (2.67 FIP), 17/3 S/BB, 0.79 WHIP - and a record of 0-3 because the offense has so far scored a single run for him.

In the second game of the series Doug Davis found the formula to winning for the Diamondbacks: 8 innings of shutout ball. It still didn't seem like enough against Lincecum who struck out 13 until Chris Young hit a 2 run double in the top of the ninth to take the lead and Qualls recorded his second save of the season. In the final game of the series Randy Johnson showed he still has something left in the tank as he no hit ARZ for 7 innings and recorded a 2-0 W.

Who's Hot

				IP	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP	REC
		Dan Haren	Season Stats	19	3	17	1.90	0.79	(0-3)

Who's Not

			AB	H	BB	SO	BA	OBP
	LF/Duo	Last Series	14	0	1	6	.000	.067

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 23 April 2009 - 10:33 AM.

[dylanmarsh]

Amazingly, Dan Haren picked up his first victory of the year as the Dbacks beat the Rockies 2-0.

It almost didn't happen, though. Haren pitched seven strong innings, scattering six hits, while walking two and striking out nine. In the bottom of the 7th, after the Dbacks put runners on first and second with one out, Haren was pinch hit for by the immortal Ryan Roberts who singled home Chris Young with the go-ahead run -- in the process, Roberts lifted his career batting average to .121.

After Wednesday's 2-0 win

				IP	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP	REC
		Dan Haren	Season Stats	26	5	26	1.38	0.88	(1-3)

[Gdiguy]

Terrible news for the DBacks & fantasy owners worldwide:

From rotoworld:

The Diamondbacks said after Friday's game that Brandon Webb would be shut down for three weeks after his latest shoulder setback.
Arizona is still maintaining that no MRIs have revealed any structural damage, but this seems like a big step to take if that truly was the case. That Webb will go three weeks without throwing suggests that it will be six weeks before he's back starting for the Diamondbacks, even if there are no additional problems. Yusmeiro Petit should have some value in NL-only leagues in the meantime.

[dylanmarsh]

After Monday's 7-2 win

				IP	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP	BAA	REC
		Dan Haren	Season Stats	35.0	5	36	1.54	0.74	.171	(2-3)

Prior to Monday's game against the Cubs, Haren had only received 3 runs of support in 4 starts. On Monday, however, Haren took matters into his own hands and hit a two-run double in the fourth, en route to the Dbacks 7-2 victory over the Cubs -- Haren's second victory of the season.

Aside from his stats at the plate, Haren was his usual brilliant pitching self: CG, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K's, 111 pitches. He only gave up three hits; two were HRs by Soriano (lead-off) and Fontenot (8th inning). At one point, Haren retired 15 in a row and closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts (Theriot and Fukudome).

The Dbacks stole 5 bases off of Cubs pitching (Young 2, Roberts, Reynolds, and Jackson). Interestingly, Conor Jackson leads the Dbacks with 3 SB, despite hitting .194 with an OPS of .500.

The Dbacks continue their 3-game set against the Cubs tonight with Yusmeiro Petit (0-1, 6.67 ERA, 1.67 WHIP) facing Carlos Zambrano.

[dylanmarsh]

Couple other notes from Monday:

• The Dbacks' top minor leaguer, Jarrod Parker, has been moved up to Mobile (AA) after dominating the Advanced California League (Class A).
  
  
  2009 Stats

  				IP	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP	BAA	REC
  		Jarrod Parker	Visalia (A+)	19.0	4	21	0.95	0.84	.179	(1-0)

  
  
  
• Tom Gordon has been activated from the DL, sending Bobby Korecky down to Reno (AAA). Gordon started the season on the DL with a strained right elbow.
  
  
  2008 Stats

  				G	IP	BB/SO	ERA	WHIP	BAA	SV/HLD
  		Tom Gordon	Philadelphia Phillies	34	29.2	17/26	5.16	1.62	.256	2/14

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

The Diamondbacks have won 3 of their last 4 and are coming off a nice series win over the Cubs.

Justin Upton has finally showing why he was the #1 overall draft pick in the 2005 MLB draft.

The resurgence of Justin Upton

	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	RBI
Last 6 Games	.381	.458	.833	1.291	2	7
First 12 Games	.167	.250	.222	.472	0	1

The injury to Brandon Webb is already showing it's affects as 24 year old Yusmeiro Petit has taken his place. He has put up a dreadful line of an 8.62 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, 1.63 BB/K, while already giving up 4 home runs in 15 and a third innings pitched. He was brought in to be the long reliever of the team but with injuries to Max Scherzer and now Brandon Webb, Petit has seen much more time than expected.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Arizona @ Milwaukee 4/30-5/3

		AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	RPG
	Batting	.231	.311	.396	.707	3.95
	Batting	.251	.347	.436	.783	4.52
	NL	.259	.340	.415	.755	4.62
		ERA	SO/9	BB/9	BAA	RAPG
	Pitching	4.52	7.16	3.25	.259	4.81
	Pitching	4.31	7.17	4.27	.243	4.57
	NL	4.43	7.15	3.99	.259	4.62

Arizona @ Milwaukee 4/30-5/3

Thursday 4/30	Max Scherzer	(0-2 4.91 ERA 7.98 K/9 1.63 K/BB)	Jeff Suppan	(1-2 7.32 ERA 5.49 K/9 1.00 K/BB)
Friday 5/1	Jon Garland	(2-1 5.47 ERA 3.28 K/9 0.75 K/BB)	Manny Parra	(0-4 6.52 ERA 6.98K/9 1.25 K/BB)
Saturday 5/2	Dan Haren	(2-3 1.54 ERA 9.26 K/9 7.20 K/BB)	Braden Looper	(2-0 2.45 ERA 6.55K/9 1.45 K/BB)
Sunday 5/3	Yusmeiro Petit	(0-2 8.62 ERA 7.47 K/9 1.63 K/BB)	Dave Bush	(1-0 4.50 ERA 6.23K/9 2.00 K/BB)

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 30 April 2009 - 10:59 AM.

[dylanmarsh]

2009 Dan Haren Watch

				IP	BB/K	ERA	WHIP	H/9	Avg GSc	REC
		Dan Haren	First 6 starts	43.0	7/47	1.47	0.74	5.2	71.5	3-3

Continuing our Dan Haren watch for '09, on Saturday he dominated the Brewers for 8 innings en route to his third win of the season. Haren surrendered four hits and two walks, while striking out 11.

At the one month mark of the season and despite his .500 record, Haren is clearly the front-runner for the NL Cy Young award. He has an ERA+ of 317(!). He leads the league in Ks and all six of his starts have been quality starts. To give you guys some perspective, he's been almost as dominant as Pedro was in 2000 and has the numbers to prove it. These stats include Pedro's 1-0, 17K loss to the Rays, which skews the numbers comparison a little:

Pedro's 2000 Season

				IP	BB/K	ERA	WHIP	H/9	Avg GSc	REC
		Pedro Martinez	First 6 starts	44.1	9/67	1.22	0.83	5.7	74.8	5-1

Don't get your panties in a bunch, guys. I'm not saying Haren will continue this trend and eclipse Pedro's magical season. I'm just giving some perspective to illustrate how amazing Haren has been so far. Take it FWIW.

Edited by dylanmarsh, 03 May 2009 - 12:10 PM.

[dylanmarsh]

On Wednesday night, the Dbacks wasted another quality start, losing to the Dodgers and Jeff Weaver, Weaver, Weaver!, 3-1. The Dbacks are now tied for fourth in the majors with 14 quality starts. And for the second consecutive start, Max Scherzer was the unfortunate victim of the Dbacks' anemic offense. Scherzer (0-3) picked up the loss despite giving up just two earned runs over six innings, while striking out four and walking two. He also scored the Dbacks lone run of the game on a wild pitch by "White Room" Weaver.

Wednesday's loss also marked Scherzer's 5th career quality start wasted the by the Dbacks. In twenty-one career appearances, twelve of which are starts, Scherzer has yet to register a win. What's even more pathetic is that the Dbacks have only won one of Scherzer's starts, which happened in his first start in 2009.

Max Scherzer's Starts

	GS	W-L	Team W-L	BB/K	ERA	WHIP	K/9	K/9
2008	7	0-4	0-7	14/48	3.41	1.37	11.7
2009	5	0-3	1-4	11/24	3.38	1.23	8.1
MLB Career Totals	12	0-7	1-11	25/72	3.39	1.31	10.2

In his seven career losses, Scherzer has watched Justin Miller, Jeff Weaver, Jamie Moyer, Armando Galarraga, Jorge de la Rosa, Adam Wainwright, and the Corpse of Randy Johnson pick up wins.

On top of all of this, Max has heterochromia iridis.

[BucketOBalls]

And....they fire Doug Melvin.

You can color me a little confused by this one. 12-17 isn't good, but I wouldn't call it a horrible start either.

I suppose in off chance that he was the problem, they did act quick enough to make a difference. (But how often is the manager the problem...mmmmaaaybe they figure the Dodgers will be hurt enough without Manny to be catchable....seems like a long shot though. )

[mabrowndog]

An awful story that's still developing...

Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis, the 39-year-old wife of D-Backs reliever Scott Schoeneweis, was found dead in the master bedroom of their Maricopa, Arizona house by their 14-year-old daughter. No cause of death has been determined or announced publicly, but the girl found her unresponsive. The team's in Florida, and he left for home immediately.

link

[NickEsasky]

Clay Zavada has become one of my favorite players in MLB after seeing him rocking the Rollie Fingers mustache last night.

[dylanmarsh]

Clay Zavada has become one of my favorite players in MLB after seeing him rocking the Rollie Fingers mustache last night.

With all due respect to NATSTOWN, the Dbacks are quickly becoming NATSTOWN West. I haven't had a chance to update this thread the last couple weeks, but I've been gathering data and will post as soon as I can.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

This thread hasn't seen a lot of life lately and I am partially to blame. Time to bring it up to speed.

The Diamondbacks are currently 4th in the NL West and 13th overall in the NL at 6 games below .500. There really isn't one part of their game in particular to blame. They are 12th in the NL in runs scored and 11th in team ERA at 4.49.

Batting
They have had numerous under performers to blame (all with at least 100 ABs): Eric Byrnes (OPS .648), Chad Tracy (.577), Chris Young (.517), Conor Jackson (.516), but I believe their current #4 hitter is of the biggest concern; Stephen Drew.

Drew was 8th in the NL in extra base hits last year (76) and at only 26 years old was expected to do big things this year. Drew has been battling hamstring issues since late April, but a stint on the DL still hasn't helped him with his own battle with the Mendoza line; .211/.295/.347/.642. The Red Sox are familiar with having Odd Year Beckett, do the DBacks have to be concerned with an Even Year Drew?

Even Year Drew?

	AB	OPS+	XBH%	BB%	LD%	BABIP
2006	209	117	11.1%	6.2%	22%	.394
2007	543	72	7.1%	9.7%	19%	.267
2008	611	110	11.5%	6.2%	22%	.322
2009	95	63	7.1%	11.6%	17%	.228

It seems as though Drew has reverted to his lackluster 2007 season. His numbers closely resemble what he put up 2 years ago, but what sticks out the most is his .228 BABIP. His only strong point is when he is struggling his BB% sees an increase. Drew has been on the wrong side of the luck coin and if he can turn it around their offense should be able to produce with the middle of the NL pack.

The resurgence of Justin Upton was a common theme earlier in the season, but now he is one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the month of May.

The Better Upton?

	AB	XBH	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
April	60	6	.250	.328	.417	.745
May	102	19	.402	.466	.765	1.231
#3 Spot	85	17	.412	.469	.776	1.245
Overall	162	25	.346	.415	.636	1.051

Since taking over the 3 spot in the first week of May, Upton has put up a line of .412/.469/.776/1.245.

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Pitching
The Diamondbacks could use there ace back. The teams 2-5 pitchers have pitched pretty well but the Webb-replacements have been terrible. The fill ins for Webb have recorded one win while having an ERA of 7.74 in their 9 starts. Webb is due back at some point before the All Star break.

Too bad they don't have Penny

Starters 2-5
	GS	ERA	WHIP	W
Dan Haren	10	2.54	0.90	4
Max Scherzer	9	3.38	1.26	2
Doug Davis	10	3.77	1.27	2
Jon Garland	9	4.70	1.55	4
Fill ins for the Ace
	GS	ERA	WHIP	W
Y. Petit	5	8.03	1.74	0
B. Augenstein	2	7.94	1.68	0
Billy Buckner	2	7.16	1.59	1

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Tough loss for the D-Backs last night, leading 5-1 in the 8th their bullpen coughed up the lead for a 6-5 loss. Dan Haren pitched incredibly well again, and the result is something he has gotten accustomed to. Haren only has 4 wins on the season (32 IP 38 Ks 1.41 ERA), in the other 7 games he sports a 3.13 ERA with 6 QS resulting in 4 losses and 3 no decisions. The Diamondbacks are tied for first in the major leagues with 30 QS, yet are 4th in their division at 23-30. Justin Upton hit a grand slam in the second to continue his tremendous 21 year old season.

And just for fun:


reason for edit: added fangraph

Edited by DaughtersofDougMirabelli, 03 June 2009 - 10:15 AM.

[dylanmarsh]

Scottsdale-Pimas likely ST destination for Dbacks and Rockies

The Dbacks on-going search for a new ST facility continues. The above link indicates that the City of Scottsdale and Pima Indians are in the lead to land a deal. The area where the new facility would be built has easy access from the freeway and is near many high-end resorts and an shopping center being updated. This would be a huge boost to the Scottsdale area, especially the Pimas, who also have a casino hotel under construction near-by. For reference, said freeway is the dividing line between Scottsdale and the Pimas.

[dylanmarsh]

Co-Jack to appear on General Hospital

In an appearance set up by ESPN, outfielder Conor Jackson will make a guest appearance on the soap opera "General Hospital" on Wednesday.

Jackson, a theater major at California, will play a physical therapist. ESPN's piece was about putting athletes with unusual majors into their fields of study.

The show airs at 2 p.m. on Channel 15.

Though Jackson claimed he nailed the performance on the first take, he admitted to some butterflies.

"I was more nervous doing that than standing in the batters' box," he said.

Jackson's father John starred on the TV series "JAG."

I guess Conor Jackson has a fever, Valley Fever, and the only cure is not more cowbell, but a bit role on "General Hospital". Hopefully remembering his lines doesn't fatigue him too much.

[dylanmarsh]

Scottsdale-Pimas likely ST destination for Dbacks and Rockies

The Dbacks on-going search for a new ST facility continues. The above link indicates that the City of Scottsdale and Pima Indians are in the lead to land a deal. The area where the new facility would be built has easy access from the freeway and is near many high-end resorts and an shopping center being updated. This would be a huge boost to the Scottsdale area, especially the Pimas, who also have a casino hotel under construction near-by. For reference, said freeway is the dividing line between Scottsdale and the Pimas.

Lots of catching up to do, but let's start with this one.

The Dbacks and the Pimas reached a deal. The new ST facility will be ready for use by 2011, which is based on an 18-month construction schedule.

As I mentioned back in June, the location is ideal for both parties. The Dbacks get back into the Valley of the Sun and its money (specifically Scottsdale and Paradise Valley). The Pimas get to expand their strong foothold on the east side and will benefit from ST spectators hitting the casino before and after games, along with staying at the hotel currently being built. The only loser in all of this is metro-Tucson. If the White Sox decide to leave, Spring Training will no exist south of metro-Phoenix after next year.

[dylanmarsh]

Adios, Felipe

				H/AB	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
		Felipe Lopez	2009 Stats with Dbacks	104/345	6	25	6	.301	.364	.776

On July 19th, the Dbacks sent their lead-off man and biggest off-season free agent acquisition, Felipe Lopez, to the Brewers for minor leaguers Mercedes Roque (RHP) and Cole Gillespie (OF). Lopez signed a one-year, $3.5M contract with the Dbacks and proved to be a reliable both offensively and defensively. However, with the Dbacks crapping the bed and a cheaper option with Ryan Roberts on the roster, the Dbacks cut bait and look to the future, once again.

Out of the two prospects sent to Arizona, Cole Gillespie appears to be the better talent. Cole played college ball at Oregon State with our very own Dreamboat. He put up some pretty solid numbers at Huntsville (AA) - 14 HR, 79 RBI, .858 OPS in 131 GP - in 2008. However, this season he's struggled with AAA pitching and has posted just a .756 OPS in 75 games. Baseball America had listed him as the 9th best prospect in the Milwaukee system prior to the 2009 season and 5th in 2008.

The other prospect, Mercedes Roque, is a 22 year-old Dominican and has been playing at Brevard County (A+) in 2009. Brewersfan.net states that his fastball sits around 90-94. He also possesses "a tight and sharp breaking ball for his age."

Edited by dylanmarsh, 21 July 2009 - 04:44 PM.

[dylanmarsh]

Besides the Lopez trade, the Dbacks made a couple of other recent cost-savings moves:

• July 7, 2009: Traded RP Tony Pena to the White Sox for minor league 1B Brandon Allen. Allen was considered the Sox top prospect and some have drawn comparisons to Ryan Howard.
  
• July 13, 2009: Released 1B Tony Clark - yes, he's still alive and playing baseball.

[dylanmarsh]

With the Dbacks failing miserably at every turn, they're clearly sellers on this fine day. The main names that have come up in coversation are RHP Jon Garland and LHP Doug Davis.

RHP Jon Garland in '09

		IP	BB/K	LD%	GB%	FIP	ERA	WHIP	2009 Contract	2010 Contract
		128.1	45/57	18.7%	45.6%	4.60	4.42	1.45	$6.25M	$10M Mutual Option

LHP Doug Davis in '09

		IP	BB/K	LD%	GB%	FIP	ERA	WHIP	2009 Contract	2010 Contract
		124.1	62/100	22.1%	43.9%	4.37	3.76	1.49	$8.75M	Free Agent

According to Nick Piecoro, the Dbacks are not looking for a whole lot for these guys. It maybe an attempt to move them without having to eat a huge portion of their contracts. Either one, especially Davis, is good rental as a fifth starter for the stretch run. I'd be surprised if the Yankees don't get in on this action.

[Needlenose's Pole]

I was out there on vacation last week and heard the local sports radio show guys getting on Garland for his comments about his teammates' lack of effort, etc. (Apparently this was directed primarily at Upton after a defensive gaffe in Garland's start, but I didn't catch it). Has Garland generally been a headcase or was this a one time blurt out of frustration?

As an aside, I was really impressed by Chase. Went to the Friday night game of the PIT series, and had a great experience. It almost seems that the club goes overboard trying to be fan-friendly.

[dylanmarsh]

After spending the large majority of the season on the DL, 2006 NL Cy Young award winner Brandon Webb had orthoscopic surgery on his right shoulder and is done for the year. Nothing terribly surprising here as the shoulder was the main point of contention in working out a contract extension. At one point, the Dbacks and Webb agreed to a deal, only to have the Dbacks pull it after failing to find an insurance policy for Webb.

The bigger story with Webb, though, is his contract status for 2010. The Dbacks hold a $8.5M option. There's been speculation that the Dbacks will just decline the option and pay Webb the $500k $2M buy-out. I doubt they will do that, especially with the recent Halladay frenzy and the number of contracts coming off the books at the end of '09. If Webb can come back from the surgery and return to form, the Dbacks could ask for a king's ransom at the deadline and get it.

Webb vs. Halladay 2006-2008

	W	L	IP	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
Webb	56	25	698.0	555	187	3.13	1.17
Halladay	52	23	691.1	477	121	3.21	1.12

The other bad news for the Dbacks is their top pitching prospect, Jarrod Parker, has been DL'd and will miss the rest of the season. The explanation is "elbow tightness" and he will be examined in Phoenix soon.

Jarrod Parker in 2009

	W	L	IP	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
Visalia (A+) and Mobile (AA)	5	6	97.1	95	38	3.14	1.35

edit: corrected the Webb buy-out

Edited by dylanmarsh, 05 August 2009 - 03:40 PM.

[dylanmarsh]

Updating Webb's status:

AZCentral

It appears right-hander Brandon Webb's surgery went as well as he could have hoped.

The Diamondbacks ace underwent a "cleanup" of his right shoulder as Dr. Keith Meister did not encounter any major problems with his labrum or rotator cuff during the surgery performed in Arlington, Texas, on Monday morning.

"Brandon will start throwing in October with a full recovery expected by or before Spring Training 2010," Webb's agent, Jonathan Maurer, said in a text message.

This is good news for both the Dbacks and Webb. It also pretty much ensures that Webb's option will be picked up and allow time for the sides to work on an extension. So, sorry, Sandboxers, but Webb won't be moved in the offseason.

[dylanmarsh]

After beginning the season with 3 straight losing months, the Dbacks have rebounded to post winning records in July and August. Since July 1st, they're three games over .500 (29-26) and have outscored their opponents 261-244. Despite making strides, however, the Dbacks are 18GB of the Dodgers for the division and 12.5GB of the Giants and Rockies for the Wild Card.

In other news, the Dbacks pitching staff continues to be the focal point of the team's 2009 turmoil and upheaval. Just days after trading set-up man Jon Rauch to the Twins for a PTBNL, the Dbacks' closer, Chad Qualls, dislocated his kneecap and tore his patellofemoral ligament after trying to avoid a line drive in the Dbacks' 4-3 win over Houston on August 30th (great video here). Qualls will miss the remainder of the season and undergo surgery to repair the ligament. The great Juan Gutiérrez will fill-in as closer. Qualls is supposed to miss 3 to 4 months.

The last bit of news to report is the Dbacks traded SP Jon Garland to the Dodgers for Tony Abreu (once he clears waivers). The deal happened before September 1st, which allows Garland to be added to the Dodgers' postseason roster. As part of the trade, the Dbacks are on the hook for Garland's 2009 salary and any buyout. Garland's contract contains a $10M mutual option for 2010 with buy-outs of $2.5M if the club declines and $1M if the player declines.

¡Adiós Amigos!

	IP	ERA	FIP	ERA-FIP	K/9	BB/9	LD%	GB%
Qualls	52.0	3.63	3.08	-0.56	8.0	1.2	20.0	56.9
Garland	167.2	4.29	4.58	0.29	4.4	2.8	19.1	45.6

[dylanmarsh]

Mercifully, the 2009 season has concluded for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dbacks finished 70-92, which was good for last place in the NL West and 22 games out of the wild card spot. Many things went wrong for Arizona, but there were some bright spots that should offer some hope for 2010.

In May, after opening the season 12-17, the Dbacks fired manager Bob Melvin and replaced him with Vice President of Player Development, AJ Hinch. Hinch proceeded to lead the Dbacks to a 58-75 as manager.

In addition to firing Melvin, the Dbacks fired hitting coach Rick Schu and replaced him with Jack Howell. Pitching coach Bryan Price resigned when Melvin and Schu were let go and was replaced by Mel Stottlemyre Jr.

Probably the best way to examine the season is to examine each component roster:

Rotation

Projected Rotation

1. RHP Brandon Webb - 6/9/09 60-day Disabled List (shoulder surgery)
2. RHP Dan Haren
3. LHP Doug Davis
4. RHP Jon Garland - 8/31/09 traded to Dodgers
5. RHP Max Schrezer

Final Rotation

1. RHP Dan Haren
2. LHP Doug Davis
3. RHP Max Schrezer
4. RHP Billy Buckner
5. RHP Yusmeiro Petit

2009 Rotation Stats

Name	GS	IP	W-L	K/BB	ERA	WHIP	FIP	LD%	GB%	HR/G	LOB%
1. Dan Haren	33	229.3	14-10	223/38	3.14	1.00	3.26	20.3%	42.9%	1.14	77.0%
2. Doug Davis	34	203.3	9-14	146/103	4.12	1.50	4.88	21.5%	43.1%	1.08	76.0%
3. Max Schrezer	30	170.3	9-11	174/63	4.12	1.34	3.90	18.3%	41.8%	1.04	68.7%
4. Billy Buckner	13	77.3	4-6	64/29	6.40	1.59	4.75	21.2%	48.8%	1.35	63.2%
5. Yusmeiro Petit	17	83.3	3-9	70/31	5.72	1.48	5.36	20.4%	31.0%	1.80	67.6%

Throughout the early part of the season, Dan Haren was in the Cy Young mix but fell out of competition when the Dbacks tanked it. Haren's numbers are at or near the top of the league, but, as history has proven (Randy Johnson in 2004), he probably won't get near the attention of other candidates on contenders. Of course, he didn't help his cause after posting ERAs of 4.95 and 4.33 in August and September, respectively.

The rest of the rotation performed pretty well through August, and then the Dbacks dealt Jon Garland (23 QS) and packed it in with the likes of Billy Buckner, Yusmeiro Petit, and Kevin Mulvey taking regular turns in rotation. But, the month of September aside, the Dbacks have to be happy with the performance of former first round draft pick Max Scherzer.

Schrezer was able to start 30 games (14 QS) in his second season and, at 25, offers the Dbacks rotation hope and stability, if Brandon Webb leaves. Scherzer's 2.76 K/BB ratio was pretty average, but he did post a 9.19 K/9, which ranked 8th in the NL. With the impending departure of free agent Doug Davis, look for Scherzer to take the 3rd spot in 2010 rotation.

Bullpen

Projected Bullpen

RHP Chad Qualls (Closer) - 8/30/09 60-day Disabled List (dislocated knee)
RHP Jon Rauch - 8/28/09 traded to Twins
RHP Tony Pena - 7/7/09 traded to White Sox
RHP Tom Gordon - 8/11/09 released
LHP Scott Schoeneweis
RHP Jailen Peguero - 3/20/09 released
RHP Yusmeiro Petit

Final Bullpen

RHP Juan Gutiérrez (Closer)
RHP Blaine Boyer - 6/9/09 claimed off of waiver from Cardinals
RHP Daniel Schlereth - call-up
RHP Leo Rosales - call-up
LHP Scott Schoeneweis
LHP Clay Zavada - call-up
RHP Esmerling Vásquez - call-up

2009 Bullpen Stats

Name	G	IP	SV-BS	HLD	K/BB	ERA	WHIP	FIP	LD%	GB%	LOB%
CL1 Chad Qualls (injured)	51	52.0	24-5	0	45/7	3.63	1.15	3.07	20.0%	56.9%	70.9%
CL2 Juan Gutiérrez	65	71.0	9-1	7	66/30	4.06	1.37	2.84	20.2%	40.4%	68.9%
Blaine Boyer (w/Dbacks)	30	37.0	0-0	2	18/12	2.68	1.38	3.39	17.5%	60.8%	63.0%
Daniel Schlereth	21	18.1	0-3	0	22/15	5.89	1.64	3.91	8.7%	58.7%	60.8%
Leo Rosales	33	45.1	0-0	2	31/12	4.76	1.15	3.88	19.3%	33.6%	62.2%
Scott Schoeneweis	45	24.0	0-3	6	14/13	7.13	1.75	6.98	19.8%	44.2%	67.4%
Clay Zavada	49	51.0	0-0	4	52/24	3.35	1.35	3.86	21.1%	27.8%	76.9%
Esmerling Vásquez	53	53.0	0-4	4	45/29	4.42	1.53	4.13	17.0%%	42.8%	72.7%

As was the case in 2008, the Dbacks bullpen proved to be a fatal flaw in 2009. Until he was injured in August, Chad Qualls was the only consistent and reliable arm in the 'pen, picking up 24 saves. Juan Gutiérrez was installed as the interim closer and performed well down the stretch but there was little pressure on him.

At different points in the season, the Dbacks dismantled the opening day bullpen: trading Tony Pena and Jon Rauch; releasing Tom Gordon and Jailen Peguero. In their places, the Dbacks called-up a bunch of young arms and got mixed results. 2008 1st round pick, Daniel Schlereth, looked over-matched and shaky, at times, but eventually showed flashes of what the Dbacks hoped for. Rookies Clay Zavada and Esmerling Vásquez were effective and should be 2010 'pen considerations.

Scott Schoeneweis was one of the few mainstays but after the death of his wife, he was a mess on and off the field. Eventually, the Dbacks placed him on the disabled list to seek treatment for depression.

2009 Dbacks' Pitching

	ERA	RSA	QS	SHO	BAA	OPS	SB	CS%
Totals	4.42	4.48	89	12	.263	.749	105	24.0%
NL Ranking	11th	9th	4th	2nd	10th	9th	12th	14th

There are a lot of odd things going on with the above stats. Lots of shutouts and quality starts, but still giving up too many runs and bases. Outside of Haren and Qualls, consistency was not the epitome of the Dbacks pitching staff.


Position Starters

Projected Lineup

1. 2B Felipe Lopez - 7/19/09 traded to Brewers
2. SS Stephen Drew
3. CF Chris Young
4. LF Conor Jackson - 6/23/09 60-day DL (Valley Fever)
5. RF Justin Upton
6. 1B Chad Tracy
7. 3B Mark Reynolds
8. C Chris Snyder

Final Lineup

1. SS Stephen Drew
2. LF Geraldo Parra
3. RF Justin Upton
4. 3B Mark Reynolds
5. C Miguel Montero
6. CF Chris Young
7. 1B Chad Tracy
8. 2B Ryan Roberts

Final Lineup

Name	POS	GP	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	OPS
1. Stephen Drew	SS	135	139/533	71	12	65	5	49	87	.261	.320	.748
2. Geraldo Parra	LF	120	132/455	59	5	60	5	25	89	.290	.324	.729
3. Justin Upton	RF	138	158/526	84	26	86	20	55	137	.300	.366	.899
4. Mark Reynolds	3B	155	150/578	98	44	102	24	76	223*	.260	.349	.892
5. Miguel Montero	C	128	125/425	61	16	59	1	38	78	.294	.355	.832
6. Chris Young	CF	134	92/433	54	15	42	11	59	133	.212	.311	.711
7. Chad Tracy	1B	98	61/257	29	8	39	1	26	38	.237	.306	.695
8. Ryan Roberts	2B	110	85/305	41	7	25	7	40	55	.279	.367	.783
9. Pitchers	P	162	53/314	16	1	22	0	9	113	.169	.194	.410

* = new major league record

By now, everyone knows of Mark Reynolds setting the new MLB mark for strikeouts in 2008 with 204 and then resetting the mark with 223 this season. However, what's been lost in this discussion is the fact that his 2.591 AB/K was worse than the Dbacks pitchers rate of 2.778. Coupling his propensity for striking out with his sub-par defense (94.5% FP%, 19 errors, .662 RZR, 9.231 ZR), it makes one wonder if his 44 HRs outweigh his deficiencies.

Overall, though, the Dbacks starting offense was fairly productive, despite leading the league in strikeouts and lacking patience. One of the keys to the offseason will be finding productive, vocal veterans that will correct some of the immaturity in the clubhouse (see: Upton, Justin). There's been a distinct lack of leadership on the team, even with Reynolds' late season tirades. Perhaps Varitek will accept a trade there for Snyder -- one can hope.

Position Reserves

Projected Reserves

C Miguel Montero
INF Josh Wilson - 5/13/09 released
1B Tony Clark - 7/19/09 released
OF Eric Byrnes
OF Alex Romero
UTIL Augie Ojeda

Final Reserves

C Chris Snyder
1B Brandon Allen - acquired in the Tony Pena trade
IF Rusty Ryal - call-up
OF Trent Oeltjen - call-up
OF Eric Byrnes
OF Alex Romero
UTIL Augie Ojeda

Final Reserves

Name	POS	GP	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	OPS
Chris Snyder	C	61	33/165	20	6	22	0	32	47	.200	.333	.685
Brandon Allen	1B	32	21/104	13	4	14	0	12	40	.202	.284	.669
Rusty Ryal	IF	30	16/59	11	3	9	0	6	21	.271	.353	.946
Trent Oeltjen	OF	24	17/70	11	3	4	3	1	13	.243	.250	.707
Eric Byrnes	OF	84	54/239	26	8	31	9	12	30	.226	.270	.663
Alex Romero	OF	66	36/145	14	1	18	2	11	23	.248	.306	.644
Augie Ojeda	UTIL	103	65/264	38	1	16	3	32	28	.246	.340	.685

Along with the bullpen's shortcomings, the Dbacks' reserves were among the worst in baseball. No speed, shoddy defense, and low OBP. Allen, Ryal, and Oeltjen were midseason call-ups and did little to assure the Dbacks they were major league ready. Byrnes continues to haunt the team; making $30M over 3 years, while doing virtually nothing productive. And Chris Snyder, the Dbacks starting catcher on opening day after signing a 3-year/$14.5M contract, was relegated to the bench after Miguel Montero bat and defense broke-out.

Fact is, the Dbacks will be stuck with Byrnes contract through next season and maybe Snyder's, too. If neither player produces more than they did in 2008 and 2009, the Dbacks will continue to suffer and probably remain in the bottom of the division. The $16.4M tied-up in Byrnes and Snyder represents around 21% of the total payroll.

2009 Dbacks' Batting

	BA	OBP	OPS	R	HR	K	BB	GDP
Totals	.253	.324	.742	720	173	1298	571	93
NL Ranking	13th	11th	9th	8th	4th	Last	9th	2nd

Nothing terribly surprising here. The Dbacks hit a ton HRs but failed time and again to put runners on. A lack of patience and maybe coaching doomed the Dbacks' offense.

*********

In conclusion, which was the preseason prediction, the Dbacks have great starters, a solid young core, and pitiful support players. Unless the front office can do something to improve the leadership, coaching, and bench, 2010 will be another long season for the Dbacks.

[Manchild84]

By now, everyone knows of Mark Reynolds setting the new MLB mark for strikeouts in 2008 with 204 and then resetting the mark with 223 this season. However, what's been lost in this discussion is the fact that his 2.591 AB/K was worse than the Dbacks pitchers rate of 2.778. Coupling his propensity for striking out with his sub-par defense (94.5% FP%, 19 errors, .662 RZR, 9.231 ZR), it makes one wonder if his 44 HRs outweigh his deficiencies.

Considering that he's a 4-WAR player (9th among 3Bs), and he's still getting paid league minimum, I'd say he's well worth the strikeouts.