Yankees Trade For Brandon McCarthy. Is Anyone Cheering?

So a little while ago a friend texted me and others that the Yankees traded Vidal Nuno to Arizona for Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy. The reactions were What? Why? LMAO. No, no one thinks the Yankees needed to hold on to Nuno. But Brandon McCarthy?

While at first I had forgotten that McCarthy is no longer a fly ball and thought the Yankees were acquiring a Phil Hughes "arm doppelganger", my opinion is still that he's not a good pitcher. (I'm being nice there)

This season McCarthy is tops in the National League in hits and earned runs allowed. His 5.01 ERA and 1.377 WHIP, and 15 home runs allowed (second worst of his career after only 18 starts) are too many crooked numbers, to paraphrase ol' Jim Kaat. Throw in a -0.5 WAR and you can see why no one is doing cartwheels.

There are some positives. The Diamondbacks, for unknown reasons, are paying the remainder of McCarthy's $10.25MM salary and $1MM assignment bonus. McCarthy has rung up a career high 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings and has walked just 1.6 batters per game. Of course, you can't walk batters when they are too busy getting hits off of you.

McCarthy's best years came when he called the very pitcher-friendly Oakland A's (Oakland-Alameda County Colisuem) ballpark home. He led the AL with a 2.86 ERA in 2011, the first year in which he converted from getting fly balls to getting hitters to keep it on the ground. (While getting ground balls is better in Yankee Stadium, the Yankees infield defense could cost McCarthy some outs.) He also had a solid 2012 season with the A's before a line drive to the head caused serious injuries and ended his season early. In the offseason he departed Oakland for a free agent deal with the lowly Diamondbacks.

His numbers in his first year in the desert were only slight better than this season. A 4.53 ERA, 10.7 hits per nine innings, compared to 10.8 this season, and a .325 BAbip  (Batting average on balls put in play). This year, hitters have a .347 BAbip against McCarthy.

While the right-hander's numbers are worse at home, his road figures aren't much better.better. And remember, that 5.01 ERA is primarily against National League teams, which in essence fields an eight man lineup. (You might even consider it seven batters the way the eight man in the order gets pitched around to get to the pitcher.)

A few things factored in McCarthy being acquired by the Yankees. 1.) The Yankees have no Major League talent ready to help in the rotation. 2) The Yankees don't have the prospects to deal for a better pitcher. 3.) See 1 and 2.

McCarthy is an upgrade over Nuno, but nothing to get excited about.

Japanese Report: Tanaka Has Received Five Offers

Japanese news service Nikkan Sports has reported that Masahiro Tanaka has received offers from five Major League teams. ToH to Rotoworld. and MLB Trade Rumors for bringing this to everyone's attention.

Google translation is far from perfect, but the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and White Sox have made official offers to the Japanese star. The Angels were expected to be competitive as well, but owner Artie Moreno apparently decided that Tanaka was not in the budget. The Angels already have large investments in Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and C.J. Wilson.

Here's the Google and freetranslations.com translation, with some modifications I have made so it makes a little more sense. I also removed some sentences that made no sense.

The negotiations for Rakuten star Masahiro Tanaka is close to the final stage pitcher. The Yankees, the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Cubs have present formal offers. All the team seem certain to have presented offer of about 10.5 billion yen or more than $100 million (US) over six years.  

Still Derrick Hall, CEO of the Diamondbacks, announced the team's intention is clear. "Hopefully he has a strong interest and I want to win the competition" he said. 

Tanaka is expected to take his time making a decision. It appears the Angels were prepared to make an offer, but withdrew from considration. "Wewant him (Tanaka), but the problem is in the budget," said Artie Moreno, owner of the Angels owner. 

Trumbo Swung to Arizona in Three Team Deal

"I'm going that-a-way."

There's been rumors for several days that the Los Angeles Angels were trying to deal first baseman/outfielder Mark Trumbo. Tuesday afternoon one of the rumors came true when Trumbo was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three team deal.  The Angels picked up left-handed pitchers Hector Santiago from the Chicago White Sox and Tyler Skaggs from Arizona. The Diamonbacks also sent outfield prospect Adam Eaton to Chicago.

Home runs (29, 32, 34) and RBI (87, 95, 100) increased each of the three years the 27-year old Trumbo played for the Angels, but so did his lack of contact. Trumbo struck out a career worst 184 times in 2013 and had an on-base percentage of .294. The Diamondbacks will look to Trumbo to add power to a lineup that relied heavily on Paul Goldschmidt last season. (The NL MVP runner-up hit 36 of the teams' 130 home runs.)

Eaton was supposed to make a major impact on the Diamondbacks lineup this past season, but an injured left elbow limited him to 66 games and he managed to produced just a .674 OPS. He'll compete with Avisail Garcia, Alejandro De Aza, and Dayan Viciedo for playing time in the White Sox outfield.

Skaggs was originally selected in the first round (40th overall pick) of the 2009 MLB amateur draft by the Angels. He was dealt to Arizona at the 2010 trade deadline as part of a package for veteran starter Dan Haren. The 6'5" left-hander made 13 Major League starts over the last two seasons with an ERA over 5.00, a WHIP of 1.412, and 7.4 strikeouts/9 IP.

Prior to the 2013 season he was named the 12th best prospect in baseball by Baseball American and MLB.com tapped him as the number 10 prospect. But after having success at the Double-A (13 starts) and Triple-A (9 starts) level in 2012, Bauer struggled in his first full year at the Triple-A level. He allowed more than a hit per inning and gave up 4.5 runs per game. A drop in velocity of Skaggs' fastball was considered to be the main reason for the drop in performance.

Santiago started, closed, and pitched middle relief during his three year stint with the White Sox. This past season he started 23 games and came out of the pen another 11 times. The Newark, New Jersey native can strikeout batters with the best of them (8.3/9 innings in '13), but also struggles with his command (72 walks in 149 IP). It's not yet known how the Angels plan to use him.

Rays Want Some More Heath Bell

Bell back in the good old days in San Diego.

Heath Bell was once "top of the world, Ma" (That's Cagney, not Titanic), but after he signed a free agent deal with the Florida Marlins, the one time NL saves leader came crashing back to Earth. Bell will be with his fourth team in four years this coming Spring Training after the Tampa Bay Rays acquired him Tuesday from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three team deal.

In addition to Bell, the Rays will also get catcher Ryan Hanigan and cash from the Reds. Cincinnati will receive left-hander David Holmberg from Arizona, while the Dbacks get right-hander Justin Choate from the Rays and a player to be named later.

Bell saved more than 40 games for three straight seasons (2009-2011) while a member of the San Diego Padres. The 36-year old signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Marlins following the 2011 season, but was part of the mass purge orchestrated by owner/con-man Jeffrey Loria. Bell landed in Arizona in October, 2012 as part of a three team deal that included Oakland.

His one season in Miami was a disaster with a 5+ ERA and 8 blown saves in 27 chances. He eventually lost the closer role to Steve Cishek. Bell started off well in AZ with 13 saves in 15 opportunities, but then blew five of his next seven chances and lost the full-time job.

The Rays are hoping Bell can turn things around just as Fernando Rodney did after he signed with the Rays as a free agent prior to the 2012 season. Once a mediocre set up man and poor closer, Rodney was an All-Star and finished 5th in the 2012 AL Cy Young voting after he saved 48 of 50 games and limited the opposition to a 1.08 ERA. Rodney blew eight of 45 chances in 2013, but is expected to sign a multi-year deal elsewhere. In the meantime, Bell will be among those vying for the vacant closer's role.

Holmberg is a 22-year old that was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLB amateur draft. He made his Major League debut on August 27 in a start against the San Diego Padres and left with no decision after he allowed three earned runs in 3.2 innings pitched. The lefty isn't overpowering and relies on a good curveball. Despite being a starter in the minor leagues, he's likely ticketed to become a lefty specialist if he earns his way on to a Major League roster.

Choate signed a free agent deal with the Rays after being undrafted out of Texarkana (TX) College, which won the JUCO title in 2010. Choate pitched with some success for the Hudson Valley Renegades of the NY-Penn League last season. In 40.2 innings thrown, he struck out 35, walked 9, and pitched to a 2.88 ERA.

Harkey Jumps to Dbacks

Bullpen coach Mike Harkey has been part of Joe Girardi's staff since the Yankees skipper managed the Florida Marlins in 2006. The 47-year old is leaving the Yankees organization after six seasons to become the pitching coach for manager Kirk Gibson and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

At 6'5", Harkey made a a larger than life impression in the Yankees' bullpen. The Diamondbacks job is the first stint for Harkey as a pitching coach.  A former first round pick (4th overall  pick in 1987 by the Cubs), Harkey appeared in 131 Major League games with 36 wins and 36 losses.

There's no word on who will replace him in the Yankees pen.

The Diamondbacks also hired Mel Stottlemyre...Mel Stottlemyre Jr. that is. The son of the former Yankees pitcher and pitching coach appeared in 13 Major League games for the Kansas City Royals in 1990.

You Can't Spell Immaturity Without the I in Ian Kennedy

Most likely by now you either saw the Arizona Diamondbacks-Los Angeles Dodgers game live Tuesday night, watched the "lowlights" or read about everything that is not what baseball is supposed to be about. When all is said and done Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy should be hit, no pun intended, with a lengthy suspension and a hefty fine.

Things started out when Zack Greine hit the Dbacks' Cody Ross, which probably looked innocent enough to most observers. However, Greinke has a reputation for well placed pitches that connect with body tissue and broke his collarbone earlier this year when San Diego's Carlos Quentin bull rushed the mound. Hitting Ross also backfired when the next hitter, Jason Kubel, hit a 2-run home run.

Arizona's Kennedy must have been one of those who though Greinke's pitch had a purpose, since he took thingst one step further and went head hunting at rookie standout Yasiel Puig. The ball hit Puig's shoulder and ricocheted off his nose. Luckily the Cuban native was only shaken up, but the benches emptied due to the location of the pitch. Things could have been let go there, but you can't blame Greinke when he retaliated.

His teammate didn't get hit below the waist, his career and life was put in jeopardy in a matter of seconds by Kennedy's irresponsibility. Greinke responded with a fastball in the back of catcher Miguel Montero. That is where it should have stayed, but Kennedy, who was immensely immature when he was in the Yankees organization, nailed Greinke up high when the Dodgers pitcher came to bat in the 7th inning.

In doing so, Kennedy set off an even nastier bench clearer that had managers and coaches pushing and shoving, and squaring off.  (Dodgers manager Don Mattingly shoved down Diamondbacks coach Alan Trammell; perhaps that was really retaliation for all the times Trammell's late innings hits helped the Tigers beat the Yankees back in the day.) Mattingly and fellow manager Kirk Gibson all had to be separated.  Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire was ejected after a shouting match with Gibson.

Jimmy Dugan aka Tom Hanks said, "There's no crying in baseball.", but a better saying is there is no room for stupidity in baseball. What Kennedy did Tuesday night was the ultimate in stupidity. There is no place in baseball for pitches thrown from the shoulders up.

Those of you who are Yankees fans remember when Kennedy pitched for the Bronx Bombers organization from the time he was drafted in 2006 into 2009 when he made his final Major League start for the pinstripes.  No loss was ever his fault. His pitchers were good ones, somehow the other team just hit them. His fielders let him down, the team didn't score, etc. Kennedy needed a change of scenery and attitude. It appears he only got one.

Two years later he was a 21-game winner and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting for the Diamondbacks. However, his numbers weren't as good in 2012 and have been much worse this season. (5.49 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, -0.8 WAR) You can bet Kennedy must be frustrated by the season he is having, but his behavior in LA Tuesday night is no excuse. Forget the somewhat standard eight game suspension and double it...at least.

And the worst may still be to come if Kennedy faces the Dodgers again this season.

CC Uses Smoke and Mirrors to Beat Diamondbacks

"Smoke and Mirrors", that was CC Sabathia's explanation after he earned the victory Wednesday night despite not having his best stuff. With his fastball hovering at 90 mph, Sabathia fought his way through eight innings. It was long enough for the Yankees to mount a comeback from a 3-0 deficit to gain a 4-3 win on Travis Hafner's 8th inning pinch-hit home run. Mariano Rivera closed it out for the Yankees seventh win in eight games.

After the top of the first inning, it appeared the Yankees would go down to defeat and Sabathia wouldn't make it past the 5th inning. But after he gave up a 2-run home run to Paul Goldschmidt and threw 31 pitches to start the game, Sabathia allowed just one more run and averaged 11 pitches per inning over the remainder of the game.

While the smoke and mirrors might have been said tongue in cheek, there's no question that Sabathia has already learned a valuable lesson that it has taken other hard throwers much longer to learn. When the fastball isn't there, change your approach, mix things up, and keep the hitters off balance. People talk about Sabathia's ability to go deep in games and his desire to have the baseball in big spots. What you don't hear enough is the degree of "pitching intelligence" that Sabathia has. It's the key ingredient that separates the game's top pitchers from the average ones.

In recent Yankees history you can point to Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson as two veterans who it took a while to master the change in their game approach. Both had nagging injuries, but both bounced back when they used a different approach to attack hitters.  In his final season (2008) in baseball, Mussina earned his 20th win in a season for the first time. The prior year saw Mussina post career worst numbers in ERA,WHIP and hits per/9 IP, and the lowest innings total of his career.

Johnson was revitalized after he left the Big Apple. A stubborn mule, it took the "Big Unit" a couple of years to learn how to pitch with a balky back and a lot less velocity. The 17 wins he earned in his second season (2006) with the Yankees was completely misleading. A 5.00 ERA and the worst K/9 IP ratio of his career wasn't helped by Johnson's surly attitude.

If Sabathia's left elbow is healthy or not, if he regains some of his lost velocity or just continues with what he's got, the Yankees won't need to worry about Sabathia keeping them in games.

Cano Needs No Reminders of 42

Robinson Cano doesn't need to be reminded of the importance of Jackie Robinson to the game of baseball and to the African-American community. The Yankees number 24 was named after the baseball great, whose career numbers don't reflect his stature or his courage.

Cano, who switched to 24 (42 in reverse) to honor the former Brooklyn Dodger, is the most important hitter on the Yankees right now. His bat was a big influence again in last night's 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Yankees sixth victory in their last seven games.

With the Yankees down 2-0 in their first interleague game of the season (I won't get into the ridiculous idea of playing an interleague game in the first month of the season), Cano stepped to the plate with two men aboard in the 4th inning against AZ starter Brandon McCarthy.

Moments later the Yankees had a 3-2 lead when Cano's fourth home run of the season sailed over the right-center field wall. It was all that Ivan Nova and the Yankees bullpen would need, though Eduardo Nunez added a sac fly RBI in the 7th inning for the 4-2 final.

Outside of an 0-3 performance in Sunday's series ending victory over Baltimore, Cano has been a house of fire. His 19 hits in 31 at-bats (.613) have included the aforementioned four home runs, four doubles, and 11 RBI. He also walked three times and scored seven runs. Cano's current OPS is an appropriate 1.042.

One of Cano's favorite days of the baseball season is when he gets to don the Yankees jersey with 42 on the back. In the last five games that Cano has worn the number he has gone 9-19 with four home runs and eight RBI.

“That guy opened the door for us,” Cano said of Robinson. “It’s amazing to get a chance to wear 42 that day. It’s one of those fun days in the big leagues.”  - NY Daily News

Cano's heroics helped out Ivan Nova, who struggled in his first start in 11 days. After he got away with some pitchers left up in the zone early in the game, the Dbacks scored a pair of runs in the 3rd inning when they loaded the bases. Things could have been worse, but Nova hung tough after he allowed a sac fly to Miguel Montero and an RBI single to Cody Ross.

Nova's 72 pitches through the 3rd inning continued a bad trend however,  and it will come as no surprise to anyone (except maybe Nova) if one day David Phelps supplants the former 16-game winner in the rotation. Phelps has become the Yankees newest version of Ramiro Mendoza- good enough to start, but so valuable out of the pen as evidenced by the four shutout innings he threw on Saturday to keep the Yankees in the ball game.

Speaking of the bullpen, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera combined for the last 12 outs of the game and allowed just one hit. Rivera picked up his third save of the season.

Notes

The Yankees honored the city of Boston in the third inning by playing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" over the Stadium loudspeakers. The song is a mainstay of Red Sox games and other Boston sporting events.

It's only April 17, but going into tonight's game with Arizona, newcomers Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner, and Vernon Wells are all hitting over .300. For a team that wasn't supposed to hit home runs, the Yankees have the fourth highest total in the Major Leagues with 19.

Mr. November is Born

Last night as the clock struck midnight and I lamented it was November already, Derek Jeter's swing popped into my head (figuratively, not literally). For it was 11 years ago on the first of November, shortly after the clock struck midnight that Mr. November was born.

I'm talking, of course, about the 2001 World Series between the Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees were about to go down three games to one when Tino Martinez stepped to the plate (in October) and hammered Byung-Hyun Kim's pitch over the center field wall to tie the game at three apiece.

It was pandemonium in the Bronx (yeah, yeah, when there was "real" noise in the Yankee Stadium) as John Sterling roared and the fans went crazy. One inning later, the game still tied, Jeter stepped in against Kim. It's all been lost in what happened afterwards, but Kim had actually struck out the side when he entered the game in the eighth inning.

Kim had gotten two outs before Martinez's home run and retired the first two batters in the 10th when Jeter settled into the batter's box. The count went full when Jeter sent Kim's pitch into the right field seats for a 4-3 Yankees win.

One, perhaps prescient, fan even had a "Mr. November" sign ready for the big moment. The Yankees lived to play another day.

FullCountPitch | Help Wanted: Shortstop

I wouldn’t be surprised if you opened up the pages of the classified ads in today’s Arizona Republic or looked under jobs on their online site and found a listing for a shortstop. Pay based on experience, need to fill position ASAP.

The Diamondbacks, one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season, suffered a huge blow last night when shortstop Stephen Drew fractured his ankle sliding into home plate against the Milwaukee Brewers. Drew is one of the key players on a Diamondbacks team that is just 4.5 games behind San Francisco in the NL West. The Diamondbacks were probably set to be moderate buyers at the deadline and while that is still probably true, their level of interest has certainly gone up a notch.

Drew was fourth on the team with 46 RBI, just four behind Chris Young's team leading 50, and second among shortstops in the National League. Defensive minded shortstops can be found fairly easily, but coming up wiht a player who will pick up the offensive slack left by Drew’s absence won’t be so easy.

So, who replaces Drew?

Read the rest of this free article at FullCountPitch.com

FullCountPitch - A Decade Of Number Ones: Part I

Making draft selections is a gamble in any sport, but no more so than with the Major League Baseball draft that takes place every June. Teams stockpile high school and college players over a 50 round selection process. The majority will never get the chance to play in any Major League Stadium, while others will surprise and grow into a starring role.

The most pressure, of course, is to be the number one selection overall. For every Joe Mauer, there is a Brien Taylor or a Danny Goodwin, who was actually the top pick in two different years (1971, 1975). With that in mind, it’s time to take a look back at the first overall picks in the last ten years of the MLB amateur (Rule IV) draft.

Read the rest of the free article at fullcountpitch.com

Matt Bush Bryan Bullington Justin Upton Delmon Young

The BaseballDigest.com 2011 MLB Preview: The Arizona Diamondbacks | Baseball Digest

The BaseballDigest.com 2011 MLB Preview: The Arizona Diamondbacks | Baseball Digest

When a team finishes in last place in its division for two straight years and averages just 67.5 wins during that time, there is no place to go but up. Such is the case with the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Starting Rotation

Long gone are the days of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. The Diamondbacks’ rotation is leaning heavily on youth, with 29 yr-old Joe Saunders as the lone veteran assured a spot. Saunders was acquired from the Angels as part of a package that sent Dan Haren to Los Angeles. Saunders went 34-14 in 2008-2009, but he’s coming off a season in which he lost 17 games and gave up nearly 4.5 runs per game.

Ian Kennedy finally translated some of his success in the minor leagues to the majors, finishing with a 3.80 ERA. His command still needs work though, since he led the league in wild pitches and walked better than three batters per nine innings.

Daniel Hudson was one of the most highly touted pitchers in the Chicago White Sox farm system, and for that reason Arizona demanded his inclusion in a deal for Edwin Jackson. The right-hander was dominant after the deal, going 7-1, 1.69 in 11 starts, and averaging better than seven strikeouts per nine innings.

There are no guarantees for the last two spots in the rotation. One of the candidates is Barry Enright, who virtually came out of nowhere in his rookie season last year to win six of his first eight decisions. Even though he lost his last five starts, he still finished with a 3.91 ERA. Enright doesn’t blow away hitters, so command of the zone is essential for his success.

Armando Galarraga and Zach Duke will also vie for the last two spots. Galarraga was acquired from Detroit following a season in which he lost a perfect game to an erroneous call by 1st base ump Jim Joyce. That was the thing to happen for Galarraga last year, as he has been unable to match his rookie success (13-7, 3.73) of 2008. Duke was dealt to the Diamondbacks by the Pittsburgh Pirates after five straight sub-.500 seasons. Despite a promising 4.06 ERA, he lost 16 games in ’09, and when he gave up nearly six runs per game in ’10, Pittsburgh decided he needed a chance of scenery.

Bullpen

J.J. Putz emerged as a top closer when he saved 76 games in 2006-2007, but a number of injuries derailed his next two seasons. Healthy again, Putz bounced back with the White Sox in ’10 as one of the premier set up men in the game. After signing with AZ as a free agent in December, Putz will get the chance to close once again.

The Dbacks’ bullpen was one of the worst in baseball last season, but a couple of Orioles acquired in the Mark Reynolds deal should help turn things around. David Hernandez was originally a struggling starter in the O’s organization before a move to the bullpen gave him a chance to strut his stuff. The 6’9″ Kam Mickolio has impressed the Diamondbacks so far this spring.

Juan Gutierrez didn’t win a game last year and had an ERA over 5.00, but he saved 15 games and struck out batters at a high rate. He’s the early favorite to be Arizona’s eight inning guy. “I think this is a big year for him,” catcher Miguel Montero told the Arizona Republic. “He knows himself better. He knows the league better. I know the hitters know him, but he’s nasty, man. Mariano (Rivera) throws a cutter and everybody knows it’s coming, and they still can’t hit it. (Gutierrez) has got (good) stuff.”

Sam Demel, Esmerling Vasquez, Aaron Heilman (who may also get a chance to vie for the starting rotation), Mike Hampton, and Micah Owings are among those battling for the final three spots in the pen.

Infield

1st Base – Is a three player battle to replace Adam LaRoche who signed with the Washington Nationals as a free agent. Veteran Russel Branyan, and youngsters Juan Miranda and Brandon Allen are vying for the position. Branyan is an established slugger/whiff artist while Miranda never got enough at-bats in the Major Leagues with the Yankees to establish himself. Allen’s numbers in Triple-A have been solid (.993 OPS, 25 HR , 86 RBI) , but he only has 54 games worth of experience in the majors. The biggest problem is all three hitters are left-handed. Right-handed hitting outfielder Xavier Nady may see some time at 1st base as well.

2nd Base – In his fifth season in the bigs, Kelly Johnson had a bustout season, setting career highs in HR (26), RBI (71), Runs Scored (93) and OPS (.895). The Diamondbacks are counting on similar production this year.

Shortstop - Stephen Drew has been a model of consistency at the shortstop position. A .272-15-62 season is the type of production Drew can be expected to produce. The soon-to-be 28-yr old has shown the same consistency on defense. Last season he made a career-low 10 errors. His double play partner Johnson had this to say about him last season, “I realize it’s also about range and about when you make the plays and what kind of plays you’re making and the stuff you have to see,. But I’ve seen it. I’ve seen him make diving plays, sliding plays, very good plays. I know he’d like to be hitting better, but he still helps this team every day with his defense.”

3rd Base – Melvin Mora (39) will probably get the bulk of the playing time, though switch-hitter Geoff Blum (38 in Apr.) could see a number of at-bats against right-handers. The two won’t be able to replace the home run or RBI production of Mark Reynolds, but more than anything they will be looked at to provide veteran leadership and hold down the fort until one of the Diamondbacks prospects (Matt Davidson or Bobby Borchering) is ready to play in the bigs.

Outfield – Left field should be a platoon situation for manager Kirk Gibson. Xavier Nady will face left-handers if he’s healthy- his twice surgically-repaired right elbow will slow his progress during spring training, so it may mean more at-bats for a Gerardo Parra. In center, the Diamondbacks would like to see Chris Young cut down on his strikeouts and improve his batting average, but the outfielder can be counted on for 20-25 home runs and 85-90 RBI, which could very well lead the team. Right fielder Justin Upton was so highly touted out of high school that he was taken by Arizona with the very first pick of the 2005 amateur draft. A first-time All-Star in 2009, his numbers dropped off a bit last year. The Diamondbacks are counting on him as one of the keys to the future (though there have been trade rumors centering on him as well).

Catcher – Miguel Montero has some good pop in his bat (16 HR in 2009), but played in just 85 games last year due to a knee injury. AZ will be looking for him to pick up where he left off two years ago.

George Vass takes a look at the surprising 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks. The team was just in in its second year of existence and just two years away from a World Series title. Click here to read all about it.

Bench – Henry Blanco will back up Montero at catcher, while Parra will back up all three outfield spots. Infielder Tony Abreu will be the utility infielder with the ability to play all three infield positions. Branyan should fill another bench spot while Cole Gillespie has a good shot at the fifth outfield spot. Journeyman Wily Mo Pena is a long shot to make the team.

Manager Kirk Gibson is in his first full season as skipper of the Diamondbacks. He replaced A.J. Hinch after 79 games last season and is the third Diamondbacks manager in three years. The squad was 34-49 under Gibson, but it was a team that was just beginning its transition to a complete rebuilding phase.

Management hopes that Gibson brings the same leadership and fiery tenacity that he had as a ball player to the role of manager. He has a two-year contract as the team gets set to play with a very veteran team this season in preparation for the movement to youth in 2012. Whether Gibson gets the chance to be a teacher remains to be seen.

Front Office – GM Kevin Towers also has a two-year deal, though he has vesting options for future years. He’s in a tough position – on the one hand he has a team with no expectations of success, but he must pick and chooose his parts to get the team competitive again. Towers won’t add any payroll, and he’ll certainly look to move some of the veterans for youth/less experienced players at the deadline. He could also push the button on a Justin Upton deal if he were to get a suitable package in return.

BD Hot Stove: Galarraga’s Strange Journey Continues | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: Galarraga’s Strange Journey Continues | Baseball Digest

The hot stove is coming to you a little later today and a hot stove is really needed since it was below zero in the northeast today. It’s been a strange stretch of time for Armando Galarraga over the last seven months. On June 2 last year Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game by the very imperfect call of umpire Jim Joyce. Hugs, tearfests, ovations followed…yada yada yada.

One week ago Galarraga and the Tigers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one year, $2.3M contract. The very next day the Tigers designated Galarraga for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Brad Penny. Today, Galarraga was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander Kevin Eichhorn and lefty Ryan Robowski.

Galaragga will probably get a chance to compete for the Diamondbacks final spot in the rotation with second year man Barry Enright and Aaron “I want to be a starter again” Heilman. Eichorn was a third round pick by the Dbacks in 2008 and played primarily in rookie ball last season. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, but surrendered 12 home runs and gave up more hits than innings pitched. Robowski put up similar numbers for High Single-A Visalia last season after being selected in the 16th round out of Ohio Dominican University in 2009.

The Diamondbacks also brought back pitcher Micah Owings, who some feel would be better as a full time hitter at this point. Owings showed promise a rookie in 2007, posting an 8-8, 4.30 mark in 27 starts and a pair of relief appearances. But his command got worse the following season, so the Dbacks shipped him to the Reds in September as the PTBNL in the Adam Dunn deal. This past October he was granted free agency after two poor seasons with the Reds. As for his hitting, Owings had 4 HR and 15 RBI as a rookie and has a .293 lifetime batting average and an .861 OPS. Perhaps it’s time to pick up a fielder’s glove or become an AL DH.

One more Diamondbacks note – Rafael Rodriguez acquired in July’s trade deadline Dan Haren deal, was DFA’ed to make room for Galarraga on the Arizona 40-man roster.

The Rockies signed outfielder Willy Taveras to a minor league deal. Taveras played for Colorado from 2007-2008.

The Nationals have added pitcher Todd Coffey with a one year deal. Coffey was non-tendered by the Brewers in December.

Per Jon Heyman, the Rangers have re-opened talks with Vlad Guerrero.

Over the weekend the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported that the Red Sox will be willing to deal Jonathan Papelbon at any point before or during the season. Papelbon will earn $12M in 2011.

BD Hot Stove: Giants Among Men | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: Giants Among Men | Baseball Digest

Fans of the NY/SF Giants waited 56 years to celebrate their first World Series championship this past season. The Giants hadn’t won since Willie Mays was making over the shoulder catches against the likes of Vic Wertz. Things look bright for the team by the bay this year too with their core intact.

I left my pine tar in San Francisco: The Giants did lose a veteran on the left side of the infield- Juan Uribe, who departed for the Dodgers, and could lose a second in Edgar Renteria. GM Brian Sabean went low price/veteran shopping as a replacement and signed Miguel Tejada, who split last season between Baltimore and San Diego. Sabean’s biggest move was re-signing 1st baseman Aubrey Huff, who helped energize the team on and off the field. The Giants also re-signed outfielder Pat Burrell and took a risk by signing Dontrelle Willis to a minor league deal. Now if they can get Brian Wilson to lose that beard.

Welcome to Divorce Court: On this week’s episode the McCourts continue their battle over ownership of this long storied franchise while first year manager Don Mattingly waits to see who gets custody. In addition to Uribe, GM Ned Colletti made a shrewd move in signing veteran starter Jon Garland to a one year, $5M deal. Another good signing was steady set up man Matt Guerrier. With Russell Martin departing for the Yankees, the Dodgers kept Rod Barajas and brought back former Dodger Dioner Navarro. The team also re-signed starters Vincente Padilla and Hiroki Kuroda, and outfielder Jay Gibbons. Colletti also inked Tony Gwynn Jr. for some outfield depth.

Won’t you take me to Friar town: The Padres spent 131 days in first place last season, but September 25th was the final time as the team swooned down the stretch. The Padres made one of the biggest splashes at the winter meetings, dealing stud 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox for four prospects. Time will tell if the move was a good one, but the Padres did know they wouldn’t be able to re-sign Gonzalez when he became a free agent after the 2011 season. The Padres have been one of the busiest teams this off-season. They re-made their infield with a trade for shortsop Jason Barlett , and inked 2nd baseman Orlando Hudson and outfielder/1B Brad Hawpe to free agent deals. They also dealt for centerfield prospect Cameron Maybin who may be getting his final chance to prove himself at the major league level. The Pads added starter Aaron Harang and swingman Dustin Moseley through free agency. In addition to Gonzalez, gone are Garland, Gwynn, catcher Yorvit Torrealba (TEX), relievers Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb (Maybin deal), starters Kevin Correia (PIT) and Chris Young (team declined option), and pinch-hitter Matt Stairs.

Like a Rock: Colorado made a late surge under replacement manager Jim Tracey to make the playoffs in 2009 and for a time it looked like they would repeat that feat in 2010. The club brought back starter Jorge de la Rosa with a two year deal, but parted ways with long time Rockie Jeff Francis. The team also got younger by saying good bye to 3rd baseman Melvin Mora, 2nd baseman Kaz Matsui, who returned to Japan, and reliever Octavio Dotel. 1st baseman Jason Giambi will most likely also join the list. To replace Mora the team acquired Jose Lopez from Seattle and also signed versatile infielder Ty Wiggington via free agency.

Last and Least: The Diamondbacks have fallen a long way since their World Series title in 2001. The team won just 70 games in 2009, firing manager Bob Melvin in the process. They followed that up with a 65 win season in 2010, which cost Melvin’s replacement, A.J. Hinch, his job as well. Interim manager Kirk Gibson didn’t have a much better record than Hinch in the 83 games he had to work with, but he’ll get to start from scratch this year. The Dbacks dealt away home run hitting/baseball whiffing 3rd baseman Mark Reynolds to the Orioles and got a good prospect in starter David Hernandez in return (along with pitcher Kam Mickolio). AZ also made a low risk deal in acquiring one time prospect Zach Duke from the Pirates for a PTBNL. Reliever J.J. Putz was given a two year deal to be the new closer and Mora and Geoff Blum were signed to take over Reynolds’ spot. Xavier Nady was also inked to play 1st base. Veteran catcher Henry Blanco was signed to work with the young pitching staff. Gone are pitcher D.J. Carassco (NYM) and 1st baseman Adam LaRoche.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

SI’s Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox are looking to strengthen their bullpen even further and are considering a run at Brian Fuentes.

The Orioles are talking contract with Kevin Gregg to become their new closer.

E-Jax to Chicago, For Now

The much ballyhooed rumor sending Edwin Jackson from Arizona to Chicago has come to fruition. So far nothing on the second part of the rumored deal that would have Jackson going to Washington as part of a deal for slugger Adam Dunn.

If Jackson stays put, the deal still makes sense for White Sox GM Kenny Williams. With Jake Peavy done for the year, Williams wanted to go with a veteran, albeit a shaky one, in a rotation rather than rookie Daniel Hudson. The right-hander was sent to the desert along with fellow pitcher David Holmberg.

I'm baffled where the Nats are coming from if they do take Jackson as part of a Dunn deal. I'd rather much have Hudson and his promising future over the erratic Jackson.

Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports just tweeted: "Source: White Sox hope to acquire Dunn without trading Jackson, but Nats desire Jackson."

Like I said, don't know why the Nats want Jackson so badly.

Angels Get Dan Haren

The Angels are hoping they've replaced the hole left by the departure of John Lackey prior to this season. The Halos have acquired Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitcher Joe Saunders and prospects Rafael Rodriguez and Patrick Corbin.

The Big Fugly Calls it a Career

Randy Johnson's time in New York wasn't a pleasant one for him or Yankees fans, but the "Big Unit" had a Hall of Fame career with stops in Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona (twice), and San Francisco. Today, after 22 seasons, the left-hander called it a career.

Johnson, who should be a first ballot Hall of Fame entrant in 2014, finished his career with 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts (tops among left-handers). Among Johnson's accomplishments was five Cy Young awards, 10 All-Star appearances, two no-hitters (one of which was a perfect game), a 20-strikeout game, and he was a three-time 20-game winner.

And despite his bad back, bad attitude, and really bad hair, he was a 2-time 17-game winner in the Bronx (2005-2006).

Granderson in Pinstripes Afterall

The deal appeared dead last night, but a three way deal has been completed today that brings Curtis Granderson to the Yankees. In getting the 6-yr veteran, the Yankees gave up prized prospect Austin Jackson (Detroit) and pitchers Ian Kennedy (Arizona) and Phil Coke (Detroit).

The Tigers received pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth (son of the ESPN bozo) from the Diamondbacks, who get hard throwing right-hander Edwin Jackson in addition to Kennedy.

I didn't initially like the idea of giving up Jackson in this deal, but the more I've thought about it, the more I like this. Jackson making it big is not a given by any means (I could care less about Kennedy or Coke). In Granderson, the Yankees get a bonafide center fielder, one who has gold glove ability on defense, can hit for power (avg 25 HR the last 3 seasons, 30 last year alone), and adds speed (20 steals). He's also said to be a good guy in the clubhouse, which is important with the possible departure of Johnny Damon.

Granderson comes cheaply too- he's under contract thru 2012 (with an option for 2013) at just over #$6 million per year.

Granderson's two shortcomings are his inability to hit left-handed pitching and a penchant for striking out (141 times in 2 of the last 3 years). The Yankees hope hitting instructor Kevin Long can make a difference in those two departments.

Jackson has hit at every level, but has yet to display much power in the minor leagues. It's possible that was one of the contributing factors in the Yankees' decision to move him.

White Sox, DBacks Swap Prospects

The Chicago White Sox have acquired once highly touted outfield prospect Carlos Quentin from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Chris Carter (not to be confused with the Chris Carter the DBacks dealt to the Red Sox in the Wily Mo Pena 3-way deal or the Hall of Fame wide receiver).

Quentin's stock has dropped the last couple of years and he's coming off of shoulder surgery. He played in 81 games for the DBacks this past season, hitting .214-5-31. Carter hit .291 playing 'A' ball in the Chisox organization.

Source

White Sox, DBacks Swap Prospects

The Chicago White Sox have acquired once highly touted outfield prospect Carlos Quentin from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Chris Carter (not to be confused with the Chris Carter the DBacks dealt to the Red Sox in the Wily Mo Pena 3-way deal or the Hall of Fame wide receiver).

Quentin's stock has dropped the last couple of years and he's coming off of shoulder surgery. He played in 81 games for the DBacks this past season, hitting .214-5-31. Carter hit .291 playing 'A' ball in the Chisox organization.

Source