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TAP
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 Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:38 am Post subject: Diamondbacks 2007 Starting Roster |
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| Nick Piecoro this morning wrote: |
Few spots up for grabs
Pitching rotation's success may sway how rest of roster shakes out
As Diamondbacks players begin arriving in Tucson this week, they'll be walking into a puzzle with precious few pieces out of place.
If it's position battles you're after, you can probably do better than Diamondbacks camp, which gets under way with pitchers and catchers reporting on Friday and working out Saturday.
With the exception of one, maybe two spots, the Diamondbacks roster, barring injury, looks all but set.
And there are scenarios in which it appears a claim can already be staked to all 25 spots.
Let's start with the position players. They'll have two catchers, the starters at the other seven positions, plus Alberto Callaspo, Tony Clark, Jeff DaVanon and Scott Hairston, who is out of options and therefore a safe bet to make the team. That's 13 players.
It's possible, with the rotation's ability to eat innings, that they could carry 14 position players and 11 pitchers. But the club will likely be prudent with pitch counts early in the season, so they could begin the year with 12 pitchers and consider dropping to 11 after they go a few turns through the rotation.
That would initially leave out versatile players such as Robby Hammock and Brian Barden, but both are on the 40-man roster and could easily find their way to the majors at some point during the year.
"Over the length of the season I think our starting pitching will dictate a lot how the rest of the roster will be constructed," General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "It will probably force us to examine how we construct our bullpen and our bench."
Brandon Webb, Livan Hernandez and Doug Davis are locks in the rotation. Randy Johnson would be, too, if healthy, but he's said to be about a week behind schedule after off-season back surgery.
If Johnson is ready to begin the year - unlikely - that would leave just one rotation spot available to the likes of Edgar Gonzalez, Enrique Gonzalez, Dana Eveland, Dustin Nippert, Micah Owings and a handful of others.
The bullpen will most likely look like this: Jose Valverde (closer), Brandon Lyon, Brandon Medders, Tony Peņa, Juan Cruz, lefty Doug Slaten, and one of the fifth-starter candidates.
Two wild cards: Edgar Gonzalez is also out of options, so he'll probably be on the team, either as a starter or reliever. Then there's Jorge Julio, who is ticketed to earn $3.6 million and could be traded. If the club can't find a match, it could probably mean that only one of the fifth-starter candidates makes the team.
With so many different pitchers vying for the fifth spot, finding innings will be a juggling act for manager Bob Melvin and pitching coach Bryan Price.
"We're going to be able to get looks at guys," Melvin said, noting that many of the candidates will be piggy-backing the other starters, meaning they'll enter spring games in relief. "We also have some options with the White Sox there. If we want to play a 'B' game, we can get some innings that way."
Even if some positions are up for grabs, the spring may not be the deciding factor on who gets the job. Byrnes seems to put more stock in a player's full body of work - previous major league experience, minor league track record, etc. - than on spring performance.
That was the case last year, when Jerry Gil outplayed Andy Green, yet Green got the nod on the strength of his breakout Triple-A season in 2005. |
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levski
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:08 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
The bullpen will most likely look like this: Jose Valverde (closer), Brandon Lyon, Brandon Medders, Tony Peņa, Juan Cruz, lefty Doug Slaten, and one of the fifth-starter candidates. |
And Julio will be out in the school yard?
Is there a trade in the works that hasn't been leaked out yet?
[edit]
duh... I should read the next paragraph...
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stu
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Even if some positions are up for grabs, the spring may not be the deciding factor on who gets the job. Byrnes seems to put more stock in a player's full body of work - previous major league experience, minor league track record, etc. - than on spring performance.
Boy is it good to read this. |
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shoewizard
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:31 am Post subject: |
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No doubt.....
Ya know...there is just very little for us to bitch and critique these days....BORING!!
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Dangerfield
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| shoewizard wrote: |
No doubt.....
Ya know...there is just very little for us to bitch and critique these days....BORING!!
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I don't know if I'm that big of a fan of the Sedona Red
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levski
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:48 am Post subject: |
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| shoewizard wrote: |
No doubt.....
Ya know...there is just very little for us to bitch and critique these days....BORING!!
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No Jennie Finch? WTF?
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matt
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| stu wrote: |
Even if some positions are up for grabs, the spring may not be the deciding factor on who gets the job. Byrnes seems to put more stock in a player's full body of work - previous major league experience, minor league track record, etc. - than on spring performance.
Boy is it good to read this. |
Very relieved to see this.
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moviegeekjn
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:06 am Post subject: |
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| shoewizard wrote: |
Ya know...there is just very little for us to bitch and critique these days....BORING!!
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True ... True ! But that is sooo great to feel that way about the front office during the HSL. We'll have plenty to bitch about once Melvin starts doing his thing.
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levski
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| stu wrote: |
Even if some positions are up for grabs, the spring may not be the deciding factor on who gets the job. Byrnes seems to put more stock in a player's full body of work - previous major league experience, minor league track record, etc. - than on spring performance.
Boy is it good to read this. |
This, of course, isn't unexpected. Anyone with a brain (i.e., anyone not named Joe Jr. or Brenly) would do the same thing...
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levski
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Steve Gilbert had a similar article over at MLB.com
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B. O. N. D.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:40 am Post subject: |
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Jeez, and my favorite parts were these:
| Quote: |
| and Scott Hairston, who is out of options and therefore a safe bet to make the team. |
| Quote: |
| Edgar Gonzalez is also out of options, so he'll probably be on the team, either as a starter or reliever. |
Let's hope Melvin gives them a chance... and from what's quoted above, that looks to be the case. 
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TAP
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:55 am Post subject: |
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| Nick Piecoro this morning wrote: |
Gonzalez pleases club, pitches less in winter
The Diamondbacks asked Gonzalez to limit himself in Venezuela this past winter, wanting him to cut back on the number of innings he threw.
Gonzalez complied, going from between 60 to 70 innings two winters ago to only 20 this off-season.
The club believes the additional workload might have contributed to Gonzalez's 2006 tailspin. He was excellent in 10 starts for Tucson (2.24 ERA) then had several strong starts for the Diamondbacks through midsummer before falling off dramatically.
Gonzalez said he may have worn down "a little bit," but that he "feels good now. My arm's strong, my body, everything."
"I don't think it's that specific to Enrique," General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "In general we try to limit those innings. Pitching non-stop can be counterproductive.
"He was at his strongest and sharpest from April through June and at other points looked a little more fatigued. Hopefully it helps."
Gonzalez threw 166 2/3 innings in the majors and minors combined last season. Add in the innings from the previous winter and that's a heavy workload for a young pitcher. |
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matt
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:34 am Post subject: |
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| That's good to see that they reeled in the innings pitched from guys playing winter ball. They just need something to stay sharp, not excess amounts of innings. |
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levski
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| Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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A really nice long article from Steve Gilbert on Edgar over on MLB.com. He touches on a lot of the discussion that we've had here on Edgar, namely that he was rushed too fast by the Dbacks, because of his talent, and that his physical tools outpaced his maturity level. Hopefully, he's ready to put it all together and have a great season for the Dbacks this year...
Some quotations:
| Quote: |
"To me, his problems were more mental than physical," Tucson pitching coach Mike Parrott said. "He just wasn't really mature enough to handle the Major League competition or even the Triple-A competition."
Gonzalez always pitched pretty well in Tucson, but it was clear that his disappointments at the big-league level, particularly in 2004, took their toll on his psyche.
"One thing I didn't really appreciate coming in was the scar tissue of 2004 for a few guys," said GM Josh Byrnes, who was hired in November of 2005.
Byrnes and others in the organization still believed in Gonzalez's potential so they figured it was time for him to take one step backwards in order to eventually make the successful transition to the big leagues.
That meant that in 2006 Gonzalez began his third straight season in Tucson.
"At the end of the day, I think last year he was very age appropriate for Triple-A," Byrnes said. "But the frustration was that he was approaching 80 starts in Triple-A, which is a lot. In some ways I think he reset his development clock last year and came up at the appropriate times so, hopefully, he's on course now to have a successful big-league career."
...
Gonzalez made some mechanical adjustments during Spring Training, the most significant of which was not slowing down his delivery and trying to guide his offspeed pitches. But his performance last year was more the result of a changed mindset. Calls by umpires no longer effect him so much and neither do errors made in the field behind him.
"When I have the ball and when I'm on the mound I just focus on every pitch and throw it the best I can," Gonzalez said. "I just want to focus on every hitter, every inning. I've been throwing four years and going up and down, up and down. I have spent four years in Triple-A and I knew that someday I had to learn and adapt. I think I have learned a lot and I feel good about it." |
Also, in his Notes article, Gilbert says this...
| Quote: |
Looking good: Melvin said he was impressed with the bullpen sessions by Casey Daigle and Doug Slaten on Tuesday.
Eveland, a left-hander who was acquired from the Brewers in the trade that sent Johnny Estrada to Milwaukee, also caught his eye.
"I didn't realize Eveland's breaking balls were as sharp as they were," Melvin said. "Both curve and slider. This is a guy that we felt was a key guy in that trade. There were a lot of teams asking about him. You look at his Minor League numbers, he's got some tremendous Minor League numbers."
Melvin said that Eveland is being looked at initially as a starter, but that "there's a couple of ways he could fit." |
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shoewizard
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:09 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Melvin said he was impressed with the bullpen sessions by Casey Daigle |
Pass
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League average when you are paying league minimum is great value, League average when you are paying 10 million sucks.
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EvilJuan
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| shoewizard wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Melvin said he was impressed with the bullpen sessions by Casey Daigle |
Pass
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Either he's easily -- really easily -- impressed...
... or Casey's been around long enough to qualify for "Proven Veteran" status.
Bob! When it comes to Casey, just say, "No!"
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whatuwant
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| EvilJuan wrote: |
| shoewizard wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Melvin said he was impressed with the bullpen sessions by Casey Daigle |
Pass
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Either he's easily -- really easily -- impressed...
... or Casey's been around long enough to qualify for "Proven Veteran" status.
Bob! When it comes to Casey, just say, "No!"
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Maybe he's trying to get in good with Mrs. Daigle...
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levski
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| whatuwant wrote: |
Maybe he's trying to get in good with Mrs. Daigle... |
Yeah, that REALLY worked out well for Bob Brenly...
Casey looks like a ball player. That's about it...
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shoewizard
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:41 am Post subject: |
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He didn't get the nickname "Moosedick" for nothing....
As in "His fastball is straighter than a mooses dick in mating season"
Check out his minor league hits, walks and whip the last 3 seasons:
2004-100.2-154-24-1.77
2005-64-75-18-1.45
2005-48-60-17-1.60
total 212.2-289-59-1.64 WHIP
289 hits?????????? I mean, he is the very definition of hittable.
Sorry.....I know he is a great guy and all....there isn't a player or coach who doesn't love him, but how many times do they need to watch him get his dick pounded into the dirt before they realize that bullpen sessions in spring don't mean shit when it comes to this pitcher?
ENOUGH ALREADY!!
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League average when you are paying league minimum is great value, League average when you are paying 10 million sucks. |
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levski
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| shoewizard wrote: |
| how many times do they need to watch him get his dick pounded into the dirt |
It really comes down to who's doing the pounding here, shoewiz. If you could get Jenna to be Mrs. Shoewiz for a month, you'd be a non-roster invitee in a New York minute, and Melvin would be singing your praises at the drop of his new synthetic material cap...
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levski
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:54 am Post subject: |
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On the other hand, not all hits are created equal... and many of them are the residue of luck, not design. But your point is well taken, nonetheless. There are about 10 better options for the bullpen slot than Daigle, imho...
That being said, he's really not going to benefit much from going back to AAA this year. There's just so much utility to shuffling a back of the pen reliever on the I-10 buses. Maybe the Dbacks will pawn him off in a trade... |
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levski
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:10 am Post subject: |
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Nick checks in with more details on Slaten and Peguero...
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/special3/articles/0221dbnotes0221.html |
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shoewizard
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:19 am Post subject: |
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| levski wrote: |
| On the other hand, not all hits are created equal... and many of them are the residue of luck, not design. |
Not in this case. I am just as big a proponent of referencing FIP and DIPS as you are....perhaps even moreso. I know you agree with me, but I just want to emphasize his high hit rate isn't a matter of bad luck with balls in play or a problem with his defense. I'm sure of it.
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League average when you are paying league minimum is great value, League average when you are paying 10 million sucks.
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matt
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:29 am Post subject: |
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| shoewizard wrote: |
| levski wrote: |
| On the other hand, not all hits are created equal... and many of them are the residue of luck, not design. |
Not in this case. I am just as big a proponent of referencing FIP and DIPS as you are....perhaps even moreso. I know you agree with me, but I just want to emphasize his high hit rate isn't a matter of bad luck with balls in play or a problem with his defense. I'm sure of it.
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I agree, it's not like we are talking about one year where he got hit hard. He's NEVER had a season where his H/9 was less than 9.00 and his BB/9 is just average. He NEVER should have been a serious contender for a roster spot. Aside from 44 IP in AA back in 2002 and his 2005 back in AA he's never had a good run anywhere.
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/Casey-Daigle.shtml
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levski
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:48 am Post subject: |
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| matt wrote: |
Aside from 44 IP in AA back in 2002 and his 2005 back in AA he's never had a good run anywhere.
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/Casey-Daigle.shtml |
except in bed. oh yeah. diggity diggity diggity
[/quagmire]
i couldn't agree with shoewiz and matt more
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