azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Ed Price, Tribune
ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Diamondbacks’ fourth free agent pickup in four days gives them a new double-play combination. Craig Counsell, a popular infielder with Arizona from 2000-03, is apparently close to returning to the D-Backs to be their regular second baseman. A source said Sunday that Counsell is scheduled to take a physical in the coming days, an indicator he and the team are close on financial terms.
General manager Joe Garagiola Jr. was guardedly optimistic about bringing back Counsell.
Counsell talks “are moving in a generally positive direction,” Garagiola said Sunday.
One source said Arizona was talking to Counsell about a two-year deal. He would be slated to play alongside new shortstop Royce Clayton, whose one-year deal will be completed pending a physical, probably today.
Counsell and Clayton would provide a sure-handed middle infield, in contrast to the 2004 team that had 19 errors by second basemen and 24 by shortstops.
“That kind of experience, it's pretty apparent when it's lacking,” Garagiola said.
Matt Kata and Alex Cintron would serve as reserve infielders, although Cintron — along with Shea Hillenbrand, who seems to be the odd man out with Troy Glaus at third base and Chad Tracy at first — could be used in a trade.
Garagiola said most of his talks Sunday were on trades and not free agents.
“If all this were to happen,” Garagiola said, “it would give us an extremely versatile bench in terms of the infield. You can really maximize situations and matchups. When you have versatile players (and) switch hitters, you can really give an opposing team a lot of matchup problems.”
Counsell, 34, was one of six players sent from Arizona to Milwaukee in last year's trade for Richie Sexson. He played shortstop for the Brewers, hitting .241 in 140 games, stealing 17 bases and making just nine errors.
In his first stint with the Diamondbacks, Counsell was MVP of the 2001 NL championship series and hit .273 in 409 regular season games.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=33050
ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Diamondbacks’ fourth free agent pickup in four days gives them a new double-play combination. Craig Counsell, a popular infielder with Arizona from 2000-03, is apparently close to returning to the D-Backs to be their regular second baseman. A source said Sunday that Counsell is scheduled to take a physical in the coming days, an indicator he and the team are close on financial terms.
General manager Joe Garagiola Jr. was guardedly optimistic about bringing back Counsell.
Counsell talks “are moving in a generally positive direction,” Garagiola said Sunday.
One source said Arizona was talking to Counsell about a two-year deal. He would be slated to play alongside new shortstop Royce Clayton, whose one-year deal will be completed pending a physical, probably today.
Counsell and Clayton would provide a sure-handed middle infield, in contrast to the 2004 team that had 19 errors by second basemen and 24 by shortstops.
“That kind of experience, it's pretty apparent when it's lacking,” Garagiola said.
Matt Kata and Alex Cintron would serve as reserve infielders, although Cintron — along with Shea Hillenbrand, who seems to be the odd man out with Troy Glaus at third base and Chad Tracy at first — could be used in a trade.
Garagiola said most of his talks Sunday were on trades and not free agents.
“If all this were to happen,” Garagiola said, “it would give us an extremely versatile bench in terms of the infield. You can really maximize situations and matchups. When you have versatile players (and) switch hitters, you can really give an opposing team a lot of matchup problems.”
Counsell, 34, was one of six players sent from Arizona to Milwaukee in last year's trade for Richie Sexson. He played shortstop for the Brewers, hitting .241 in 140 games, stealing 17 bases and making just nine errors.
In his first stint with the Diamondbacks, Counsell was MVP of the 2001 NL championship series and hit .273 in 409 regular season games.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=33050
