azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Ed Price, Tribune
Baseball’s general managers’ meetings began Monday in Miami, Fla., and Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola Jr. continued working on the team’s offseason plans.
One high-profile topic will be Randy Johnson, who is likely to draw interest from the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. The D-Backs plan to see what they could net in dealing Johnson and also consider offering him a contract extension and then approach him to decide on a course of action.
But the Diamondbacks could be in a tight spot. Johnson may not have changed his stance from last summer, when he apparently was willing to waive his no-trade clause only to go to the Yankees. And the D-Backs also face the possibility that if they do not deal Johnson this offseason, he will refuse a midseason trade next year and instead hit the free-agent market a year from now.
Speaking generally, Garagiola said Monday, "I had a number of conversations with teams before I came down here about trades that I want to follow up on."
Arizona also is attempting to re-sign first baseman Richie Sexson, who has turned down a three-year proposal. That deal included escalators based on playing time because of the shoulder injury that limited him to 23 games this year.
Garagiola spoke last Friday with Casey Close, Sexson’s agent, and said he came out "a little better informed" on how the D-Backs can change the offer to make it more attractive to Sexson. One key issue may be how much Sexson makes if healthy, rather than the structure of the deal or the guaranteed salary.
Free agents can begin signing with other teams Friday.
In a sign the Diamondbacks may be losing confidence in their ability to resign Sexson, prospect Conor Jackson has begun practicing at first base during the Arizona Fall League.
"This is a player who is still at a very young stage of his career," Garagiola said, "and that’s kind of what the Fall League is for: allowing young players to move around the field a little bit.
"Flexibility is always a good thing."
If Sexson signs elsewhere, Arizona could play Shea Hillenbrand at first base and Chad Tracy at third, as it did most of this year. But Hillenbrand is eligible for arbitration and thus could have a salary in the neighborhood of $4 million, so Jackson, 22, would be a cheaper alternative.
"I would not think at this point we’re looking at Conor Jackson playing in the big leagues that quickly," Garagiola said.
Jackson — who spent this year at Class A Lancaster and Class AA El Paso, hitting a combined .324 with 17 home runs and 91 RBIs in 127 games — played first and third base at the University of California. He moved to the outfield after the Diamondbacks took him with their first pick in the 2003 draft.
"I’m just getting back comfortable over there," he said Monday. "You never know what’s going to happen and you never know where they’re going to need me."
Jackson was asked last Friday to take grounders at first.
"It’s like riding a bike," he said. "I’m going to go whereever they want me to."
Jackson went into Monday’s game leading the Arizona Fall League with seven home runs, second with 24 RBIs and sixth with a .366 average in 22 games. He also had more walks (17) than strikeouts (13).
SHORT HOP: The Diamondbacks will play the Texas Rangers in an exhibition game April 2 in Albuquerque, N.M., the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League announced Monday. Arizona is scheduled to play the Boston Red Sox in Phoenix on April 1 and open the season April 4 at home against the Chicago Cubs.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=31256
Baseball’s general managers’ meetings began Monday in Miami, Fla., and Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola Jr. continued working on the team’s offseason plans.
One high-profile topic will be Randy Johnson, who is likely to draw interest from the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. The D-Backs plan to see what they could net in dealing Johnson and also consider offering him a contract extension and then approach him to decide on a course of action.
But the Diamondbacks could be in a tight spot. Johnson may not have changed his stance from last summer, when he apparently was willing to waive his no-trade clause only to go to the Yankees. And the D-Backs also face the possibility that if they do not deal Johnson this offseason, he will refuse a midseason trade next year and instead hit the free-agent market a year from now.
Speaking generally, Garagiola said Monday, "I had a number of conversations with teams before I came down here about trades that I want to follow up on."
Arizona also is attempting to re-sign first baseman Richie Sexson, who has turned down a three-year proposal. That deal included escalators based on playing time because of the shoulder injury that limited him to 23 games this year.
Garagiola spoke last Friday with Casey Close, Sexson’s agent, and said he came out "a little better informed" on how the D-Backs can change the offer to make it more attractive to Sexson. One key issue may be how much Sexson makes if healthy, rather than the structure of the deal or the guaranteed salary.
Free agents can begin signing with other teams Friday.
In a sign the Diamondbacks may be losing confidence in their ability to resign Sexson, prospect Conor Jackson has begun practicing at first base during the Arizona Fall League.
"This is a player who is still at a very young stage of his career," Garagiola said, "and that’s kind of what the Fall League is for: allowing young players to move around the field a little bit.
"Flexibility is always a good thing."
If Sexson signs elsewhere, Arizona could play Shea Hillenbrand at first base and Chad Tracy at third, as it did most of this year. But Hillenbrand is eligible for arbitration and thus could have a salary in the neighborhood of $4 million, so Jackson, 22, would be a cheaper alternative.
"I would not think at this point we’re looking at Conor Jackson playing in the big leagues that quickly," Garagiola said.
Jackson — who spent this year at Class A Lancaster and Class AA El Paso, hitting a combined .324 with 17 home runs and 91 RBIs in 127 games — played first and third base at the University of California. He moved to the outfield after the Diamondbacks took him with their first pick in the 2003 draft.
"I’m just getting back comfortable over there," he said Monday. "You never know what’s going to happen and you never know where they’re going to need me."
Jackson was asked last Friday to take grounders at first.
"It’s like riding a bike," he said. "I’m going to go whereever they want me to."
Jackson went into Monday’s game leading the Arizona Fall League with seven home runs, second with 24 RBIs and sixth with a .366 average in 22 games. He also had more walks (17) than strikeouts (13).
SHORT HOP: The Diamondbacks will play the Texas Rangers in an exhibition game April 2 in Albuquerque, N.M., the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League announced Monday. Arizona is scheduled to play the Boston Red Sox in Phoenix on April 1 and open the season April 4 at home against the Chicago Cubs.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=31256
