Diamondbacks Bullpen

[tmar]

What an off season we going into. I was thinking today about who we have and who we will be trading for in the off season.

With Estrada's seeming defections we are likely to send him packing.

O-Dog has been playing hot and is heading into arbitration. Do we trade him and go with Callaspo next season at 2B?

Who stays? Gonzo, Byrnes or both and do we rid ourselves of Green?

Due to the Ortiz baggage and whatever we'll be stuck with on the Green side, I don't think we'll have much more than about 10MM to go after a top quality pitcher. I say we back load a contract so it escalates when were done paying for Green and senior Donut.

I think this off season could be more exciting than the conclusion of this season <which is actually heating up>.

[stu]

Will no one rid me of this troublesome rightfielder?

And if the FBI (or any of Henry VIII's knight) is listening, that's a joke, son.

[Robert S.]

C - Snyder/Whatever (unless Montero is ready, which I doubt)
1B - Jackson
2B - Hudson
3B - Tracy
SS - Drew
LF - Hairston
CF - Young
RF - Quentin
UT - Callaspo

SP - Webb
SP - Hernandez
SP - Gonzalez
SP - Cruz
SP - Vargas

RP - Pena
RP - Medders
RP - Lyon

The following should not be back: S. Green, Clark, Easley, Julio, Vizcaino.

Trade Estrada and Byrnes for whatever they fetch. Dangle Tracy and Hudson to see what kind of interest they generate. Pick up a starter, perhaps - spend a bunch of time trying to trade for one of the guys who's going to be a FA after '07 or '08, anyway. Definitely re-configure the bullpen. And get a REAL BENCH for '07.

[B. O. N. D.]

Green's gone. Even if there wasn't something in the works (which we all know there is) he'd be gone. Quentin and Jackson tonight. Q and J.

I'd keep Hudson. He'll still be relatively cheap, right? He's still AZ's thru 2007, right? Both Drew and Callaspo are going to learn alot from him. In fact, I'd almost think Callaspo might be a trade chip... (as excited as I am about him).

I want to hear Estrada explain his remarks. I want to see him on the hot-seat via media, etc. before I write him off. I don't think he's the cat's meow of catchers, but I like what he's brought to the team. I mean, how many catchers can run, right? I forgive his lardassedness.

Byrnes... you know what I'm going to say about Byrnes. I heart Byrnes. But he's not a 4th OFer (we have Davannon) and I'll probably heart Chris Young more.
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Oops in the 2 hole!

[Robert S.]

Forgot to add: Get a real ace.

[DesertKnight]

[TAP]

[DesertKnight]

Here's what I'd like to see: (*=free agent)

C = *Estrada (if < $3M) / Snyder / Hammock
1B= Jackson
2B=*Hudson (if < $3.5M) / Counsell / Callaspo
SS=Drew
3B=Tracy
LF=Hairston
CF=Byrnes
RF=Quentin

SP=Webb, Livan, Batista, Enrique, +acquisition

Bullpen=Pena, Cruz, ???

Bench=Counsell (util inf), DaVanon (4th OF), Hammock

Gone=Gonzo, S. Green, A. Green (give the kid a shot at an everyday job somewhere), Easley, Clark, Vargas

Why?

I'd keep Estrada largely for his bat, but only for one year. We know Snyder can hit, and he's hitting a lot better this year than he has since coming up. And he's never spent a day at AAA. Keep Estrada, but get Snyder in a lot more games. I'd really like to see a platoon next year, with the job being Snyder's to lose in '08. Ditto for Hudson/Counsell and Callaspo.

I'd keep Byrnes for a year (sign him multi-year and trade him if necessary) because this is Chris Young's first year in AAA, and I'd like to see him have one more before bringing him up.

I know I'm playing it a bit more conservatively than some of the more vehement youth advocates would like, but I just don't see us fielding the Sidewinders next year. But if in '08 Callaspo isn't at 2B, and the outfield isn't Hairston, Young, and Quentin, there's a serious problem.

And I don't know what the hell to do about the bullpen. We haven't had a solid bullpen in years, and unless Byrnes goes all Krivsky on us, I don't see a particularly solid one next year, either.

[DesertKnight]

[tmar]

Were I in charge I'd play next year as a teaser of sorts to try to get the fans back into the game. I'd field a team that had a chance at going all the way and trade away those that would bring back prospects I could either play in the future or trade at the deadline to shore up a weakness.

My card would look like:

SP Webb, <Schmidt or whatever we can afford>, Hernandez, Gonzalez and then Nippert/Cruz

BP too vague to get into

Infield: CJ, Callaspo, Drew, Tracy, Snyder
BUI: Clark <he's already signed and has no trade value>, Counsel
Outfield: Gonzo <if he signs at a significant discount> or Byrnes, Young, CQ
BUO: Davanan, Hairston

This gives us Byrnes, Estrada, Hudson <about 8 MM total after arbitration> which can be traded for either chips or talent. I'm assuming Green is gone.

We roll with that team and if we are looking like '07 is our year then we make some trades at the ASB to fill some gaps.

[stu]

Good 1 stu! Your Henry III reference threw me off, since it was Henry II that declared, "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

Crap. screwed up again.

Actually VIII is Henry's xFIP (Castle Adjusted).

It was the fault of the people who gave me the 3x5 card. I was just reading it.

My cat ate my notes on the 12th Century.

[moviegeekjn]

[McCray]

[EvilJuan]