2011 Roster

[azsportsfan01]

With AsUdUdE's thread about the rotation it got me thinking who will be on the 25 man roster once we break camp. Even though we still have all of spring training to get a full read on who will be there and who won't I think we can get a pretty good idea on who will make the club. My guesses will be broken down by the categories of locks, pretty sure, need a solid spring, and not this year.

First here is a look at the 40 man roster and all the non-roster invitees.

40 man pitchers
Josh Collmenter
Sam Demel
Zach Duke
Barry Enright
Armando Galarraga
Juan Gutierrez
Aaron Heilman
David Hernandez
Daniel Hudson
Juan Jaime
Ian Kennedy
Zach Kroenke
Kam Mickolio
Kevin Mulvey
Jordan Norberto
Yonata Ortega
Joe Paterson
J.J. Putz
Carlos Rosa
Joe Saunders
Leyson Septimo
Esmerling Vasquez

Non-roster pitchers
Matt Gorgen
Mike Hampton
Wade Miley
Micah Owings
Jarrod Parker
Rafael Rodriguez
Daniel Stange
Brian Sweeney
Clay Zavada

40 man catchers
Henry Blanco
John Hester
Miguel Montero
Konrad Schmidt

Non-roster catchers
Rossmel Perez
P.J. Pilittere

40 man infielders
Tony Abreu
Brandon Allen
Geoff Blum
Stephen Drew
Kelly Johnson
Juan Miranda
Melvin Mora
Ryan Roberts

Non-roster infielders
Russell Branyan
Paul Goldschmidt
Chris Owings
Cody Ransom
Andy Tracy

40 man outfielders
Willie Bloomquist
Cole Gillespie
Xavier Nady
Gerardo Parra
Justin Upton
Chris Young

Non roster outfielders
Collin Cowgill
Marc Krauss
Wily Mo Pena
A.J. Pollock
David Winfree


Locks:
Miguel Montero, Kelly Johnson, Stephen Drew, Chris Young, Justin Upton, Melvin Mora, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders, J.J. Putz, David Hernandez, Aaron Heilman

I don’t think anyone will disagree with the guys in this category. Mora may be the only one but he is our best option to play 3rd base at this point.

Pretty sure:
Juan Miranda, Xavier Nady, Armando Gallaraga, Zach Duke, Juan Gutierrez, Kam Mickolio, Henry Blanco, Joe Paterson, Willie Bloomquist

The one guy I am on the fence about placing on this list is Paterson. He is a rule 5 pick but is a lefty which this team is always looking for.

Need a solid spring:
Sam Demel, Barry Enright, Zach Kroenke, Kevin Mulvey, Jordan Norberto, Carlos Rosa, Esmerling Vasquez, Matt Gorgen, Mike Hampton, Micah Owings, Daniel Stange, Rafael Rodriguez, John Hester, Brandon Allen, Russell Branyan, Tony Abreu, Geoff Blum, Ryan Roberts, Cody Ransom, Cole Gillespie, Gerardo Parra, Collin Cowgill, Wily Mo Pena

This is the group that I struggled the most with. I think Matt Gorgen has a shot to sneak into the bullpen with a great spring but I believe they will keep him in the minors for just a little more seasoning.

Not this spring:
Wade Miley, Jarrod Parker, Juan Jaime, Yonata Ortega, Leyson Septimo, Josh Collmenter, Brian Sweeney, Clay Zavada, Konrad Schmidt, Rossmel Perez, P.J. Pilittere, Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Owings, Andy Tracy, Marc Krauss, A.J. Pollock, David Winfree

This is obviously packed with a ton of prospects that will be on the team in the coming years. Of these guys who have a chance to make the club at some point this season Jarrod Parker, Wade Miley, and Konrad Schmidt have the best chances.

So with that here is my prediction for the 25 man roster. I went with a 12 position/13 pitcher split though that could obviously change.

First up is the batting order which I believe will look something like this.
1. Stephen Drew (L)- SS
2. Melvin Mora (R)- 3B
3. Justin Upton (R)- RF
4. Miguel Montero (L)- C
5. Chris Young (R)- CF
6. Kelly Johnson (L)- 2B
7. Xavier Nady (R)- LF
8. Juan Miranda (L)- 1B
9. Pitcher

Our biggest problem is the lack of a true leadoff hitter. Drew has had success leading off, therefore Drew leads off. Mora was the toughest for me to put into a spot since I haven’t seen him a ton but from the look of his splits he seems like a good guy to hit 2nd. The next three guys are obvious and I only put them in that order to get the lefty-righty split. In reality I wouldn’t be upset having them hit in whatever order as long as they are the middle of our batting order. If you look at Kelly Johnson’s splits he is a much better hitter lower in the lineup and by hitting in the 6th spot it will still give him a good amount of RBI chances. The last two guys I have in that order because of the split again.

I think the bench will look something like this.
1. Henry Blanco
2. Willie Bloomquist
3. Brandon Allen
4. Geoff Blum

Henry Blanco makes the club has the back-up catcher mainly because he commands so much respect from all the Latin players. Hester could win the spot but I think Blanco at this point in spring has a huge lead over him. The next three spots are a crap shoot. We have so many guys that could make the team that you could probably pick the names out of a hat and have a good chance of getting them right. The one thing these guys have going for them is their ability to play more than one position. Bloomquist to me is the guy leading the pack for a bench spot. Allen probably should be starting in either left or at 1st but for whatever reason the team doesn’t seem like they want him to start. Personally I am hoping for Ryan Roberts to make the club but I think Blum has the edge over him at this point.

Rotation
1. Daniel Hudson (R)
2. Ian Kennedy (R)
3. Joe Saunders (L)
4. Armando Galarraga (R)
5. Zach Duke (L)

This is pretty much set. As I said in the other thread I think money is a factor and that will give Galarraga and Duke the last two spots in the rotation while Enright starts the season in Reno and will be the first guy up if there is any trouble. Parker will eventually be up with the team somewhere around the all-star break and Wade Miley is a guy who will be up at some point this season taking over for a struggling pitcher or in a spot start.

Bullpen
1. J.J. Putz (R)
2. David Hernandez (R)
3. Aaron Heilman (R)
4. Juan Gutierrez (R)
5. Kam Mickolio (R)
6. Joe Paterson (L)
7. Carlos Rosa (R)
8. Sam Demel (R)

The last two spots are really up for grabs. I picked those two though I could see Vasquez, Norberto, Gorgen, Hampton, or Kroenke making the club.

So with that I leave it up to you guys to tear this apart. Let us know where you disagree with my picks.

 

[azsportsfan01]

I have two small changes to make to this.

First I think Brandon Allen will be the starting left fielder. Nady's arm still isn't right and I think they will either try him at 1st or may try to put him on the DL for the first few weeks or so.

The other change would be Mike Hampton making the bullpen probably taking Demel's spot. Having another lefty in the bullpen would be a good idea and Hampton has proven in the past what he is capable of doing. I don't think anyone can question his desire to be in the bigs and I believe that he will work his ass off enough to make the ball club.

 

[azsportsfan01]

Well you can take Matt Gorgen off the list of guys who could sneak onto the roster. He needs Tommy John surgery. Tough break for the guy. Hopefully he can come back strong next year.

 

[azsportsfan01]

10 days out from the season and here is my newest predictions for the roster. Not too many changes.

First I think Russell Branyan has made the team. He probably will start but I think the fact that Miranda has shown much better defense than he was thought to have he will be given the chance to start. That also puts Allen even further on the bubble, but I think with Nady still not being 100%, Allen is ahead of Parra of making this team. In my opinion I think our best bet is to put Nady on the DL with arm issues, give Allen the starting left field position and have a 2 week extended camp to decide which two first basemen will make the team when Nady comes off the DL. If we are able to put Nady on the DL then that gets Parra on to the team which he clearly deserves after his spring.

1. Stephen Drew (L)- SS
2. Melvin Mora (R)- 3B
3. Justin Upton (R)- RF
4. Miguel Montero (L)- C
5. Chris Young (R)- CF
6. Kelly Johnson (L)- 2B
7. Xavier Nady (R)- LF
8. Juan Miranda (L)- 1B
9. Pitcher

1. Henry Blanco
2. Willie Bloomquist
3. Brandon Allen
4. Geoff Blum
5. Russell Branyan

We are starting to get a clearer picture on the makeup of the rotation. Supposedly today Gibson is going to come out and tell who is in and who is out. What we do know is Kennedy is our opening day starter and Hudson will go game 2. I think Saunders will pitch in game three just to break up all of the lefties in the rotation. Yesterday word came down that Enright has made the rotation and given his performance in spring I think he will be slotted in at the 4 spot. That leaves the 5th spot left for Galarraga/Heilman. If you go by performance then Heilman is the guy. That is why I have it like that, though if it were up to me Heilman has more value as a reliever than Galarraga does. For those who don’t know Duke is out 2 months and will start the season on the DL.

Rotation
1. Ian Kennedy (R)
2. Daniel Hudson (R)
3. Joe Saunders (L)
4. Barry Enright (R)
5. Aaron Heilman (R)


The bullpen is going to be tough to sort out. We know the closer (Putz) and the 7th/8th inning guys (Demel/Hernandez). After that it is a crap shoot. Gutierrez is going to be in there and the loser of the starters race will be in there. If we go with a 5 man bench to start the season off that only leaves 2 spots left. We will need a lefty in the pen and our rule V pick Joe Paterson has done a good job this spring and leads the other lefty candidates. I had Hampton in there the last update but he has gone and completely screwed his chances. Kam Mickolio (one of the guys we got for Reynolds) has had a pretty good spring and I think he gets that final bullpen spot. If we go with a 4 man bench and have an extra bullpen spot open, Gibson has made it seem like he would like and extra lefty in the pen which would probably be Jordan Norberto. He stills struggles with walks but his stuff is so good he will be given another chances in the majors.

Bullpen
1. J.J. Putz (R)
2. David Hernandez (R)
3. Sam Demel (R)
4. Juan Gutierrez (R)
5. Armando Galarraga (R)
6. Kam Mickolio (R)
7. Joe Paterson (L)

 

[BC867]

The D-backs latest roster moves on Monday tie in with your list.

Catcher Konrad Schmidt was optioned to Triple-A Reno, while right-handed pitchers Micah Owings and Brian Sweeney, along with outfielder Wily Mo Pena, were reassigned to Minor League camp. I wonder if Micah Owings will decide to give it a try as a 1B rather than pitcher.

The club also outrighted catcher John Hester to Reno, which removes him from the 40-man roster. There are now 35 players remaining in camp.

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com...tebook_id=17055064&vkey=notebook_ari&c_id=ari

 

[azsportsfan01]

I wonder if Micah Owings will decide to give it a try as a 1B rather than pitcher.

If he wants to make it back to the majors he will stay as a pitcher. If you take out his first game this spring he has thrown 7 innings giving up 3 runs with only 2 earned. That translates to a 2.57 era. He had only given up 8 hits while striking out 10.

If he wanted to transition to 1st he would have to head down to the low minors to learn the intricacies of the position and we may never hear from him again. There is a reason they talked about him playing at 1st this spring and we never saw it.

 

[BC867]

Catcher Robbie Hammock is back with the D'backs?

That's interesting!

 

[azsportsfan01]

Catcher Robbie Hammock is back with the D'backs?

That's interesting!

He is just roster filler. He is behind Montero, Blanco, Hester if not a few more guys. He won't sniff the majors unless some catastrophic injuries occur.

 

[azsportsfan01]

Less than a week until the season starts, the roster is starting to come into focus.

Today the starting rotation was announced. It is as follows:
1. Kennedy
2. Hudson
3. Saunders
4. Enright
5. Galarraga

As for the bullpen, that obviously means Heilman will slide into the middle relief role which I think is the right move. He has much more value in the pen than Galarraga does. Jordan Norberto was optioned down today so that leaves Kam Mickolio and Esmerling Vasquez battling for the final spot. I am still going to say Mickolio will win the spot. Also there is a report Carlos Rosa is going to be sold to a Japanese team which is too bad because I like his pitches and wouldn't mind seeing him get another shot.

So the bullpen should look a little something like this:
Closer- JJ Putz
8th inning- David Hernandez
7th inning- Sam Demel
Lefty- Joe Paterson
Middle- Aaron Heilman
Middle- Juan Gutierrez
Middle- Kam Mickolio

As for the hitters we know that Russell Branyan made the team and Geoff Blum is going to start the season on the DL. That probably means Ryan Roberts makes the team which is outstanding.

Catchers- Miguel Montero and Henry Blanco
Infield- Russell Branyan, Kelly Johnson, Stephen Drew, Melvin Mora, Juan Miranda, Ryan Roberts, Tony Abreu
Outfield- Justin Upton, Chris Young, Xavier Nady, Gerardo Parra

Going by this Brandon Allen is obviously going to be the odd man left out which is too bad but he is the one with an option left so that was always working against him. I have read we are looking into trading Abreu which makes sense now that we signed Kevin Frandsen. I am still holding out hope we can put Nady on the DL and keep Allen on the roster as the left fielder though by each passing day that dream is fading.

 

[BC867]

... keep Allen on the roster as the left fielder though by each passing day that dream is fading.

I was hoping that Brandon Allen would win either the 1B or LF job in Spring Training. He seemed to have good potential.

There is a crowd at 1B with Branyan (.426) and Miranda (.283), each with a team leading 4 HR's in spring training as of today. Allen is at .268 (and slipping) with 1 HR.

With Branyan's fielding coming around (although not at the same level as Miranda or Allen), I'd like to see Branyan in the heart of the batting order, batting cleanup, separating the two righties Upton and Young.

Branyan, Miranda and Allen are all left-handed hitters. Parra is our only lefty hitter in the outfield. He's hitting .344 with 2 HR's.

So Brandon Allen did himself in, coming in 4th out of the 4 lefty candidates for 1B/LF.

 

[azsportsfan01]

Well, just a few short hours later and things have changes. First off the D-Backs are not signing Kevin Franden. No loss.

Secondly Tony Abreu has apparently been put on waivers. Not a huge shock since we have been looking at trading him. With these two bits of knowledge it seems like we are close to trading for someone. Our biggest trade asset is Allen. If Abreu is really gone we need an utility infielder since Roberts can't really play short. As soon as news comes out I'll put it in here.

 

[BC867]

Branyon hit his 5th homerun of the spring to lead the D'backs at this point.

His 21 RBI's lead all National League batters for Spring Training.

Now I really hope he is our regular 1B.

Even if he strikes out more than we like, an RBI guy like that at cleanup makes the rest of the lineup better.

Especially with Mark Reynolds' record setting strikeouts year after year and embarrassing batting average now gone.

And even though I think a good fielding 1B makes the rest of the infield better, he is not a transplant from another position and has improved nicely since the opening game.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

The only statistic more useless than batting average is spring training batting average.

 

[BC867]

The only statistic more useless than batting average is spring training batting average.

That's why I was so impressed to see that Branyan is leading all NL players in RBI's.

Even in spring training, you either drive 'em in or you don't.

Especially if you're in the starting lineups the days you play, facing Major League starters and relievers, rather than the pitchers with numbers in the 90's on the back of their uniforms.

Are pitchers behind hitters for a good part of spring training? Might be. But the hitter who drives in more runs than all the rest in the league can't be overlooked.

 

[azsportsfan01]

2011 roster has been set:

Pitchers (12): Sam Demel, Barry Enright, Armando Galarraga, Juan Gutierrez, Aaron Heilman, David Hernandez, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Kam Mickolio, Joe Paterson, J.J. Putz and Joe Saunders.

Infielders (7): Willie Bloomquist, Russell Branyan, Stephen Drew, Kelly Johnson, Juan Miranda, Melvin Mora and Ryan Roberts.

Outfielders (4): Xavier Nady, Gerardo Parra, Justin Upton and Chris Young.

Catchers (2): Henry Blanco and Miguel Montero.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/dia...ks-opening-day-roster-2011.html#ixzz1I7vHvwrS

 

[Lefty]

No Allen? That is a joke. He played very well this spring and deserves to be on the roster. By the way, Saunders sucked so bad in the spring. If it continues, hopefully they would get him out of the rotation.

 

[azsportsfan01]

No Allen? That is a joke. He played very well this spring and deserves to be on the roster. By the way, Saunders sucked so bad in the spring. If it continues, hopefully they would get him out of the rotation.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread Allen has an option left and unfortunately that is a huge knock against him. He hopefully will get a chance to show what he can do. I only hope that is with the D-Backs.

As for Saunders I'm not giving up on him yet, though he will be on a short leash. He has proven in the past to be a durable and serviceable pitcher. That is worth a whole lot more than a bad spring training.

All of the guys in the back of the rotation know that they need to pitch well if they want to keep their jobs. The D-Backs have some good arms in the minors who are nearly ready for the majors (Parker, Miley, Brewer) and if we fall too far out of the race then we will want to look towards the future and will be more willing to see them fail.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Nick Piecoro at AZ Rep gives us the scouts' takes on just about every member of the roster. It's uh... going to be a challenging year.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/123895

 

[jameforeman]

Matt Gorgen works sometimes. He should be considered when you are out to loss...lol