7/26 Dbacks @ Phillies

Pos	Player	HR	RBI	AVG
CF	Byrnes, Eric	13	37	.286
1B	Jackson, Conor	8	50	.262
LF	Gonzalez, Luis	9	47	.283
3B	Tracy, Chad	14	56	.279
C	Estrada, Johnny	8	51	.320
RF	Green, Shawn	9	44	.301
2B	Hudson, Orlando	9	40	.271
SS	Drew, Stephen	0	2	.282
P	Webb, Brandon (11-3, 2.51)

Tonight's line up. When is Drew going to hit higher in the order?

Tonight's Line Up 7/25 M. Batista V Ryan Madson

1. E. Byrnes cf .288
2. O. Hudson 2b .270
3. L. Gonzalez lf .280
4. C. Tracy 3b .278
5. J. Estrada c .318
6. S. Green 1b .302
7. C. Quentin rf .444
8. S. Drew ss .303
9. M. Batista p .128

Once again, Bob Melvin benches Conor Jackson, in favor of Green at first and Quentin in right. Hopefully this doesn't last too much longer. It'd be nice if Gonzo was benched instead. That's a fact of life. Hopefully Cj is working with the hitting coach tonight and studying his swing in the clubhouse.

The Calm Before The Storm

As the trade deadline nears, there is a lot of speculation as to the moves General Manager Josh Byrnes will make. Who will go Green or Gonzo? Are they going to trade away any prospects? Are they going to trade for a number two starter? Will the buy? Will they sell? Will they stand pat with what they have?

The odds are Luis E. Gonzales will play everyday in left field untill the end of the season. There's a snowballs chance in hell that his 10 million dollar option will be picked up. This does not mean that he won't resign with the team and play a lesser role as a bench player. Gonzo has said that he wants to play everyday, and I'm sure there will be a team out there that will be stupid enough to do so. It's very unlikely that Gonzo will be traded before the trade deadline. A few teams have reportedly shown interest(Detroit, supposedly)But his No Trade Clause is certaintly the largest obstacle in moving him. Most likely, Gonzo would want his option for next year picked up, so some cash would have to be included in the deal. The PR backlash in moving the face of the franchise also would make moving him difficult. Gonzo low production is also yet another reason this move isn't going to happen.


A move of Shawn Green is more likely, but still quite difficult. His limited no trade cluase and salary make a move difficult. I think Green is the most likely to be moved all things considered. The Yankees have shown interest, and Green said he waive his clause for the Yankees. The Yankees are said to be in need of an outfielder, and are reluctant to trade the few good prospects they have like Phil Hughes. I'm sure we'd trade Green for a bag of balls just to make room for Carlos Quentin.

Then there's Jeff Davanon and Eric Byrnes. Byrnes is currently the most valuable player on the team based on VORP, and he's only signed to a cheap one year contract. Davanon is has an option for next year, and would certaintly be retained if Gonzo, Green, and Byrnes are all gone. He'd provide much needed veteran presence(I know, that term has been worn out in Arizona, but in small doses, it's an ok cliche) in a very young team. Byrnes is cheap enough that if we offer arbitration, and he accepts, it won't hurt the team too much. But most likely, he'll sign for a large contract, and we'll get a draft pick, maybe two.

Then of course, there's Craig Counsell. Every day that Stephen Drew gets a hit while Counsell is on the Dl, the more likely Counsell isn't going to win that starting job back. Byrnes could send him back down until the September Call Ups(So Drew could retain his rookie status until next year). But I think that is a very unlikely move. Drew has flashed excellent defense, the ability to hit, and even though he has yet to hit a homer, he's shown some power. Drew is also quickly gaining a cult following among the fans. All that said even if counsell doesn't win the starting job back, he'd be a useful veteran utility player to have on a very young team, and I think is definately worth resigning next year.

There are a few other candidates that could be traded for various reasons. After the Austin Kearns trade that Bowden pulled off last week, there is a heavy price for pitching and relievers in this years trade market. Byrnes could sell high on guys like Batista, Vizcaino, Lyon, and Jorge Julio. We could see a trade of lesser prospects like Chris Carter. I don't know.

Right now the problem is the illusion of contention. If the team trades away a Veteran GuyTM like Green or Byrnes, and playing a rookie like Quentin or Young, the casual fans will think the team is giving up on the pennant race. But fan attendance is so low right now it seems like it wouldn't matter.

I have no clue what will happen in the next week. We can guess and try to speculate what moves Josh Byrnes will make, but we don't know the moves Byrnes CAN make. I will be very surprised if Byrnes trades away from the talent pool, though.

Mr. Rizzo Goes to Washington

Today has been a slow news day, except for the fact that one of the most important members of the diamondbacks front office, Mike Rizzo, has left Arizona to become an assistant general manager for the Washington Nationals.

This is a sad day for the Diamondbacks, but a great day for the Nationals. Rizzo, is of course, responsible for the Diamondbacks excellent farm system, which over the winter, has been rated the best farm system in all of baseball by Baseball America, Prospectus, John Sickels, and many others. Under his observation, the Diamondbacks have drafted and signed and produced players like Brandon Webb, Chad Tracy, Dan Uggla, Chris Capuano, Lyle Overbay, Scott Hairston, Carlos Quentin, Conor Jackson, and much of the organizations future. Rizzo has assembled a potential dynasty for Arizona's GM Josh Byrnes. Hopefully, the organization will implement the same drafting philosphy as Rizzo.

I wish Mike Rizzo great luck in Washington. I feel very sorry for the fans of the Braves and Mets right now, becuase I'm sure Rizzo will build another potential dynasty of prospects for the Nationals.

It's unfortunate that we couldn't retain Rizzo, but I do feel this is good for Baseball, and a great career move for Mike.

In 10 years, the nation will know how good Mike Rizzo really is at what he does.

A statement I will stick by.

I'm a gambling man.

If the team traded, moved, DFA'd Shawn Green, Eric Byrnes, Counsell/Hudson, Batista and Gonzo. In addition they got another starter that can put up an ERA of 3-4.
They put this line up as the every day starters.

1b Conor Jackson
2b Hudson/Callaspo
SS Stephen Drew
3b Chad Tracy
LF Scott Hairston
CF Chris Young
Rf Carlos Quentin
C Johnny Estrada/Chris Snyder

The rookies will play exceptional defense, and will hit with some ferocity... Webb will be his usual self. Enrique Gonzales, Micah Owings, Edgar Gonzales, Juan Cruz, Dustin Nippert, and pitcher X... out of these players, a solid rotation will form, and one of those will emerge as a solid number 2 starters.
I'm saying if the diamondbacks did this today. If they did this year. If they sold of all veterans, it wouldn't be them giving up on the season... they would be building for a run THIS YEAR. They'll win the division, and they'll actually be a legitimate threat for the WS title....

And I think Josh Byrnes plan is pretty much the one I've just laid out. If he doesn't sell the Vets now, he's an idiot. There's a reason why the Sidewinders are the best team in the PCL. All the Scouts and stats can't be wrong about these guys. The writing is on the wall.

Gonzo in the news again..

Dbacks won last night, and Gonzo has made the news again

First from the Arizona Republic

"On Friday, while standing at his locker before a National League West showdown with Colorado, the Diamondbacks left fielder again felt he needed to set the record straight, this time regarding his own comments.

"I was upset about the way I was perceived (Friday) morning," Gonzalez said. "When I picked up the paper, it made me look like an (expletive), and I'm not. I care about every guy on this team." His beef: He simply wanted to play, just like any athlete under similar circumstances.

"There are guys in this league that have a hangnail or a pulled muscle and want to come out of the lineup, and I've never been one of those guys," Gonzalez said. "I've played (in the past) with a torn ligament in my elbow for 3 1/2 months when I should've had surgery. For somebody to say I'm selfish, that's just not the case." on gonzales from last night and this morning.

Quentin said: "He came up and talked to me, but he really didn't have to. It was a classy thing to do."

Melvin said the incident was blown out of proportion and mostly was his fault. In hindsight, the manager questioned his timing, starting Quentin on his promotion day.
"I didn't communicate with Gonzo as much as I should have," Melvin said. "Maybe getting Carlos in here for a couple days, he's on the bench a couple days and now Gonzo gets a day off, maybe that's a better way to do it. My timing was bad."

Gonzalez, 38, was back in the lineup Friday and batting third, but he again pointed out that his days in Arizona are probably numbered.
"They're not going to pick up my option," he said. "Who's going to pick up my option at $10 million? I'm not stupid. I've been playing long enough. I know what's going on."

And from Ken Rosenthal's latest, taken straight from BTF's Primer. The Texas Rangers are looking at Gonzo.

Gonzalez, 38, would fit for the Rangers as a left-handed hitting outfielder and DH. The Rangers continue to look for pitching, but apparently are confident that the pending returns of right-handers Adam Eaton and Kameron Loe from injuries will bolster their staff.

The Rangers entered Saturday a half-game out of first in the AL West while the Diamondbacks were a game back in the NL West. But Gonzalez, who played for Rangers manager Buck Showalter in Arizona, might be ready to leave one contender for another, knowing the Diamondbacks are unlikely to exercise his $10 million option for 2007.

Gonzalez was infuriated several weeks back when Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick linked him to steroid rumors. He was rankled again Thursday when the team benched him for rookie Carlos Quentin, who proceeded to hit a home run in his major-league debut.

Before waiving his no-trade clause, Gonzalez likely would want to know more from the Rangers about his role this season and beyond. He could ask for a one-year extension of his contract at a salary lower than his option number.

I'm tired as shit, and have plans for the night, but I'll probably come back later tonight or tommorow with some more commentary on this. But for now, please leave some comments and feedback.

Hello Quentin, Goodbye Gonzo.

Last night made me really wish I had cable right now. The big story of course, was Quentin starting in left field in place of Gonzo, which led to him making quite a fuss to the press... I'll get into that later. Last night was a game won by the home grown players. Brandon Webb had another dominating start, going 8 inning and giving up only 2 runs. On the offensive side, Chad Tracy and Stephen Drew lead the way, both going 2-4 with a double. Carlos Quentin first hit was a towering 2 run 398 foot bomb off of Mark Hendrickson. Overall, it was a great game to watch, and has me salivating for September, when the rest of our top prospects will be brought up.

So, now onto Gonzo being a big cry baby. What more can I say? The man is getting paid way too much, his time is almost up, and every one knows it except Luis. Gonzo has givin us some great memories, especially that magic moment in November 2001. But that was 5 years ago. Those days are long past. I want to focus on the future. Brandon Webb, Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Chris Young, Carlos Gonzales, Miguel Montero, Alberto Callaspo... these are the guys that are going to lead us to post season glory. Gonzo should realize that, and try to make the best of his situation, and leave Arizona with class, not with immature temper tantrums.

I don't think we should trade Gonzo, out of respect for what he's done for the franchise and the Arizona community. But I also think that Gonzo should have respect for what this franchise is trying to do: build for the future. If he was the team player he claims to be, he'd accept whatever role the team gives him, support it, and give a 100 percent in that role. And he definately shouldn't be mouthing off to the press, especially when the numbers support him being benched for the night.

I used to be a big Gonzo fan, but over the years I've slowly lost respect for him. Gonzo earned the love of many Arizona fans after 2001, but it's 2006. Gonzo is 38. He's lost his power. He's lost his bat speed. He has no throwing arm to speak of. And his range in the field is steadily declining. He's got a ten million option for next year. Any GM with sound intellect will realize that after all things considered, picking up that option is not only a poor finacial move, but a poor baseball move. Not when you have 3 outfielders that can and will easily match or out perform that production for 1/30th of the price.

Tidbits + BIG NEWS

I'm back from Tucson. I had a bunch of doctor's appointments on monday that I needed take care of(I'm nineteen, and I see a Rhuematologist, isn't that lovely?) Luckily, I got to spend some quality time with my fiancee, my mom, my older sister, and my gorgeous brat of a 5 year old neice.

Well, there’s been quite a few things that I wish I could have covered while I was gone. So here are the tidbits from today and this weekend.

• Stephen Drew’s promotion has showed us that he’s definitely good with the glove. And after last night’s game (3-4 with two doubles and a triple) we know that he can hit MLB pitching with authority. One of his doubles could have been a triple too, if it weren’t for fan interference causing the ball to be ruled a ground rule double. Drew looked very comfortable in the field over the weekend, and last night, he looked very in tune at the plate for the first time. I think he's gotten the jitters out of his system finally. Looking at Counsell in the clubhouse the last few days, I think he's realized he's lost his starting job.
  

• Conor Jackson’s shoulder injury wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought it might have been. He was diagnosed with a minor shoulder strain. An MRI over the weekend revealed no structural damage, and he was back in the lineup last night, but went 0-4
  

• Due to Stephen Drew's promotion the MLB club, Miguel Montero has been promoted from Double A Class- Tennesse Smokies to the Triple-A Tucson Sidewinders.

• The Diamondbacks are also reportedly looking at Indians' starting pitcher Jake Westbrook. I can't see this deal happening without the Diamondbacks giving up a top prospect, which isn't going to happen. If the Indians are willing to look lesser(but still good) prospects like Chris Carter and Scott Hairston, I think we could get a deal done. But my sources tell me that Cleveland won't deal unless they are "blown away"
  

• Tony Clark was put on the DL. The starter formerly known as Adrian Rosario has been called up as Stud Reliever Tony Pena.

• Several teams have shown interest in Miguel Batista and Juan Cruz. Both have been scouted by quite a few teams during the current home stand. Batista's trade stock should have definately gone up with last nights complete game shut out performance. Batista may have a lot of interest due to his versatility to work in different roles. He can start, and relieve. Our lack of starters makes a trade of either very unlikely, but I do think we'd be willing to part with one or both for the right price. Prime Canidates to replace there spots in the rotation would Edgar Gonzales(sent back down to Tucson), Dustin Nippert(who's having on and off again season in AAA, and has been lit up in his starts with big club this year), and Micah Owings, who's rocketed through the system, I don't think he's personally ready yet.
  

• The New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers have been reported to be interested in Shawn Green. Both teams however, seem to be more interested in guys like Alfonso Soriano, Bobby Abreu, and even Jose Guillen. I can't really see an Abreu or Soriano deal getting done with the Yanks with out them giving up top prospects like Phil Hughes or Tabata. Green's No Trade Clause isn't even an issue with the Yanks, as he said he would waive it. My gut tells me Green will get traded very soon. There's also been some rumours of some interest in Gonzo. I don't see much of a priority in trading him at this point. I think it's best for all parties if we simply do not pick up the option on his contract for next season. Green however is still under contract next year and should be moved.

• Dallas Buck RHP, the Diamondbacks third round pick in this year's draft out of CWS winner Oregon State, is deciding weither to undergo Tommy John surgery. He's expected to decide within the week. IMHO, I think it's best to get this out of the way. the success rate of TJ surgery is very high. The surgery would sideline him at least a year, and I wouldn't expect him to be pitching %100 percent until a year after the surgery.

And finally the big news. CARLOS QUENTIN HAS BEEN CALLED UP! His playing time however, could be interesting. Or we could see a rotating platoon system, with Carlos playing in LF and RF, with Green occasionally seeing time at first. However, this move most certaintly means a trade of either Green, Davanon or Byrnes. Byrnes' value is the highest right now, and a source of mine says that Byrnes is very likely to be moved, as he's in a one year contract. Davanon also likely to get moved. I've already gone over Green. And Gonzo, Let's not go there. Right now he's overpayed, underperforming at the plate and in the field and has a 10-5 clause in his contract.

I told you, this is going to be a very interesting stretch for the Diamondbacks. I’ll be following the next few games quite closely. I’m anxious to post tonight’s line up card.

Sources

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=69988
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=69801
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/ethan_trex/07/18/left.field/

Jackson Injured

Conor Jackson injured his shoulder in today's game. The initial Diagnosis is a shoulder strain. More to come on that later.

I'm headed down to Tucson to go visit my Mother. I'll probably be gone until tuesday, don't know if I'll have any more posts up until then.

tonight's lineup

Stats are season vs. LHP

E. Byrnes cf .354 /.407 /.556
D. Easley 3b .250 /.373 /.467
L. Gonzalez lf .214 /.308 /.340
C. Jackson 1b .292 /.400 /.417
J. Estrada c .291 /.310 /.345
S. Green rf .314 /.388 /.539
O. Hudson 2b .277 /.357 /.422
S. Drew ss
B. Webb p .154 /.143 /.154

This is it.

Counsell out 3-6 weeks. Stephen Drew called up.

I've been busy as shit. But I will have a couple features posted up tommorow. Plus more on this tommorow too. Here's hoping Drew takes the Job and never lets go.

Dan Uggla, All Star

Well, a small bit on

Who'd have thought that a 26 year old rookie playing in AA ball taken in the Rule 5 draft would up end up an all star that same year? Who'd have thought he'd be the best second baseman in the NL? I certaintly didn't. All though his performance in AA and the Arizona Fall League looked very good, his age relative to the rest of the league made me doubt his performance.

It's stories like these that make me think that the Diamondbacks future in very good hands as long as Mike Rizzo is the Scouting Director, and they use their talent intelligently. This means recognizing when a player's value is the highest at the time before trading them. This means buying low in trades on players. This means signing players to smart contracts, buying out arbitration years.

Anyway, Mike Rizzo has developed some very good talent. Let's take a look at how the minors are doing.

Waiting down at the Tucson Sidewinders is a lot of good talent. Stand out offensive seasons from Alberto Callaspo, Chris Carter, Scott Hairston, Stephen Drew, Chris Young, and Carlos Quentin show that there is a lot of talent bubbling very close to majors right now. Our biggest weakness has lead to a high turn over of siderwinders pitching but Enrique Gonzales and Edgar Gonzales have contributed to MLB team. Dustin Nippert is having a decent season considering the hitter friendly confines. Tony Pena has emerged has a unhittable reliever. Not mention Micah Owings emergiong from the college world series to being lights out in the minors and slowly climbing the ladder of top pitching prospects.

In Tennesse, Catcher Miguel Montero Has had a solid season considering the not so hitting friendly context of the southern league. Pitcher Garret Mock hasn't had the break out season that every one expected, but he still has an impressive strike to walk ratio, and has improved every month. Starting pitcher Ross Ohlendorf has had a break out season, and has been lights out for the smokies.

In Lancaster, Carlos Gonzales was expected to put up MVP type numbers. He's having a solid season, considering his age(20). He went to the futures game along with Stephen Drew. The real story here has been that of two players. pitcherGreg Smith who was promoted to AA a few weeks ago, and Mark Reynolds who was promoted at the end of the first half. Greg Smith was out right DOMINATING the California League, known as one of the most hitter friendly leagues in the pros. Mark Reynolds has come out of no where and is leading the league in just about every offensive statistical category.

And down in South Bend, Justin Upton is hitting very poorly against left handers, even though he's right handed. One explanation? Coming right out of highschool, he may have not see many left handers. I expect his second half performance to be a lot better, as he becomes acclimated to facing lefties, and starts getting more loosk at them. Overall, he hasn't put up the superstar numbers every one was expecting after seeing his performance in spring training, but I honestly think he'll be fine. I'd cut him some slack personally. He's younger than me(i'm 19), and playing in a full season league for the first time, and he's playing a new position. Be patient.

I didn't go over every prospect, but just going over the system and looking at the stats, you'll realize the future is very bright for the Diamondbacks. If only they can get rid of Gonzo and Green.

More on Melvin

Well, the All Star break is here, as the Diamondbacks finished their road trip at 6-3, leaving them at 43-45.

First let's go over that Bob Melvin re-signing. My initial reaction is that I don't like Melvin. I hate the way he's handled pitching. Last year, Bob Melvin was in the top five in "slowest hooks" when it came to getting a pitcher. He tends to over use his relief pitchers. His lineup building process has been at times, incredibly flawed. Examples of this are batting Hudson and Clayton in the two hole in the last two years on a regular basis. Leaving Counsell with a fading OBP in the leadoff spot for the last month also should be called into question. His handling of Jackson last year and the beginning of this year should raise big red flags, especially with a team as loaded with top positional players as our farm system. However, I wouldn't say Bob is to blame for everything that has gone wrong in the last year and a half with this team. And I'm definately not going to say Melvin is a GOOD manager.
From my understanding though, our current General Manager, Josh Byrnes is a lot more active with the on-field management of the team than our previous GM was. It's been reported that Byrnes and Melvin have a good working relationship. If Byrnes plays a more active role in keeping Melvin's faults to a minimum, then I think this will good for the team. In this regards, our current General Manager/Manager would be reminisent of Billy Beane/Ken Macha. Beane makes most of the big decision regarding player personal, roster management, et cetera, and Macha pretty much follows orders and does what he's told. A flipside of a Bad Gm/Manager pairing was Paul Depodesta and Jim Tracy the last two years with the Dodgers. That situation didn't exactly end well for either of the two, mostly because they had a poor working relationship(and a boatload of injuries to the team).

In summary, I don't think this is an outright bad move to resign Bob melvin for another two years, but I don't think this is the best move the Diamondbacks could make. I would have like to see this done during the offseason, but I'm OK with this move.


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