azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Jerry Brown, Tribune
The veteran bat Arizona would like to add to the bench is likely a first baseman to back up or share time with Chad Tracy. Two names that have surfaced, according to sources, are veterans Tony Clark and John Olerud, both of whom finished the season subbing for Jason Giambi with the New York Yankees last year.
• The 32-year-old Clark, who lives in Glendale in the offseason, hit .221 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in 106 games for the Yankees last season, earning $750,000. Clark has hit 191 homers in his 10-year career, topping 30 three straight years (1997-99) with Detroit.
• Olerud, 36, began last season making $7.7 million with Seattle but ended it making the league minimum with the Yankees. In 127 combined games, the career .295 hitter had a .259 average with nine homers and 48 RBI.
Another first baseman who spent time in the Bronx last year — former Diamondback Travis Lee — is also looking for work. But he said by phone from his Las Vegas home that he hasn’t heard anything from Arizona. Like a lot of unsigned first basemen, he’s watching to see where big names like Carlos Delgado land.
"We’re talking to some teams with interest, but we’ll take our time and see how the market shakes out,’’ he said.
The starter Arizona would still like to add to the rotation would likely be a left-handed pitcher, given all the lefthanded power hitters in the division (Barry Bonds, Todd Helton, J. D. Drew) and the fact that its top three starters (Javier Vazquez, Russ Ortiz and Brandon Webb) are all righties.
SEEKING BYRNES
If Arizona wants to pry center fielder Eric Byrnes loose from Oakland, it appears the price could be steeper than reliever Jose Valverde. Bay Area speculation has shortstop Alex Cintron also of interest to the A’s, but the Diamondbacks don’t want to burn important bargaining chips since they still have other areas they want to address via trade.
LIKES WHAT HE SEES
New Diamondback Shawn Estes likes the makeup of the Arizona pitching rotation, even before the final member is added. Ortiz was his teammate in San Francisco and Estes has always admired Vazquez from a distance.
"Russ is a guy you can just mark down for 200 innings and 15 wins, he’s a workhorse that will take the ball every five days and give you a good outing,’’ Estes said. "And when you’re sitting on the bench talking about the top five young pitchers in the game, Vazquez’s name is always in there. He’s a talented guy.’’
DAIGLE GONE
To make room for Estes on the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks placed Casey Daigle on waivers Wednesday.
Daigle, 24, won a spot in the starting rotation out of spring training last year, but lasted only 10 starts and was 2-3 with a 7.14 ERA before spending the rest of the season in the minors.
EXTRA INNINGS
The Shea Hillenbrand trade was finally official Wednesday, with the Mesa resident heading to Toronto for reliever Adam Peterson — who passed an Arizona physical in the morning. . . .
Shawn Green’s new contract is officially worth $31,900,016 and includes a $7 million signing bonus — $5 million payable this season and another $2 million by 2008. Green’s base salary numbers are $5.5 million this year, $8 million next year and $9.5 million in 2007. He gets four premium season tickets (not eight, as previously reported) and a hotel suite on the road.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=34677
The veteran bat Arizona would like to add to the bench is likely a first baseman to back up or share time with Chad Tracy. Two names that have surfaced, according to sources, are veterans Tony Clark and John Olerud, both of whom finished the season subbing for Jason Giambi with the New York Yankees last year.
• The 32-year-old Clark, who lives in Glendale in the offseason, hit .221 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in 106 games for the Yankees last season, earning $750,000. Clark has hit 191 homers in his 10-year career, topping 30 three straight years (1997-99) with Detroit.
• Olerud, 36, began last season making $7.7 million with Seattle but ended it making the league minimum with the Yankees. In 127 combined games, the career .295 hitter had a .259 average with nine homers and 48 RBI.
Another first baseman who spent time in the Bronx last year — former Diamondback Travis Lee — is also looking for work. But he said by phone from his Las Vegas home that he hasn’t heard anything from Arizona. Like a lot of unsigned first basemen, he’s watching to see where big names like Carlos Delgado land.
"We’re talking to some teams with interest, but we’ll take our time and see how the market shakes out,’’ he said.
The starter Arizona would still like to add to the rotation would likely be a left-handed pitcher, given all the lefthanded power hitters in the division (Barry Bonds, Todd Helton, J. D. Drew) and the fact that its top three starters (Javier Vazquez, Russ Ortiz and Brandon Webb) are all righties.
SEEKING BYRNES
If Arizona wants to pry center fielder Eric Byrnes loose from Oakland, it appears the price could be steeper than reliever Jose Valverde. Bay Area speculation has shortstop Alex Cintron also of interest to the A’s, but the Diamondbacks don’t want to burn important bargaining chips since they still have other areas they want to address via trade.
LIKES WHAT HE SEES
New Diamondback Shawn Estes likes the makeup of the Arizona pitching rotation, even before the final member is added. Ortiz was his teammate in San Francisco and Estes has always admired Vazquez from a distance.
"Russ is a guy you can just mark down for 200 innings and 15 wins, he’s a workhorse that will take the ball every five days and give you a good outing,’’ Estes said. "And when you’re sitting on the bench talking about the top five young pitchers in the game, Vazquez’s name is always in there. He’s a talented guy.’’
DAIGLE GONE
To make room for Estes on the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks placed Casey Daigle on waivers Wednesday.
Daigle, 24, won a spot in the starting rotation out of spring training last year, but lasted only 10 starts and was 2-3 with a 7.14 ERA before spending the rest of the season in the minors.
EXTRA INNINGS
The Shea Hillenbrand trade was finally official Wednesday, with the Mesa resident heading to Toronto for reliever Adam Peterson — who passed an Arizona physical in the morning. . . .
Shawn Green’s new contract is officially worth $31,900,016 and includes a $7 million signing bonus — $5 million payable this season and another $2 million by 2008. Green’s base salary numbers are $5.5 million this year, $8 million next year and $9.5 million in 2007. He gets four premium season tickets (not eight, as previously reported) and a hotel suite on the road.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=34677
