NLDS: Arizona Diamondbacks Vs Los Angeles Dodgers thread Oct 6th-???

[82CardsGrad]

The realist in me says you are right about the team.

The baseball fan says we will improve (or at least win 90 games).

I like Grienke for regular season, Ray I believe will be #1 starter material, and Godley will be a good 3/4. Not sure what to make of Corbin or Walker. Miller won't be any use next year.

Bullpen is a major concern for me - probably the #1 worry.

Yea... The pen and again, 2b and 3b are my biggest issues... and SS could be added to that list if Marte shows by the allstar break that he's not capable of taking his game to the next level. And while we're at it - I think catcher will also be an area of big concern... even if they re-sign Iannetta (not a given), is it really likely that he would put up another career season filled with 8th and 9th inning homeruns??

 

[Dback Jon]

Yea... The pen and again, 2b and 3b are my biggest issues... and SS could be added to that list if Marte shows by the allstar break that he's not capable of taking his game to the next level. And while we're at it - I think catcher will also be an area of big concern... even if they re-sign Iannetta (not a given), is it really likely that he would put up another career season filled with 8th and 9th inning homeruns??

The Mathis/iannetta combo is serviceable, TL just needs to remember when he needs offense

The farm system...Dodgers seem to pull out a star (or at least an above average player) every year. Who do we have?

Marte is only 23. Still have high hopes for him. Lamb. Is the first half Lamb going to reappear? Or was that an illusion doomed to ever haunt us.

 

[AZ Native]

Greinke wasn't worth the contract the second it was signed. That contract also assured that we'd would not get equal talent value back if we traded him. It would be a dump. Price of overpaying as a small market team. So I don't disagree with where you're coming from.

I mean, I don't want to get full "debbie downer" on here, but there is certainly a perspective that this is as good as it gets for this iteration of DBacks.

I think expecting our starting pitching staff to put up a 18+ WAR consistently isn't realistic.
I think expecting our situational hitting carrying us in the future as it did in 2017 isn't realistic.

We are looking at adding $23M to this years payroll in just guaranteed and arbitration.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2018.html

Diamondbacks (14)

• Patrick Corbin (5.105) – $8.3MM
• Randall Delgado (5.100) – $2.5MM
• A.J. Pollock (5.052) – $8.5MM
• Shelby Miller (4.166) – $4.9MM
• J.J. Hoover (4.153) – $1.6MM
• Chris Owings (4.027) – $3.8MM
• Chris Herrmann (4.001) – $1.4MM
• T.J. McFarland (3.165) – $1.0MM
• Taijuan Walker (3.142) – $5.0MM
• David Peralta (3.120) – $3.8MM
• Nick Ahmed (3.054) – $1.1MM
• Jake Lamb (3.053) – $4.7MM
• Andrew Chafin (3.020) – $1.2MM
• Robbie Ray (3.007) – $4.2M

This is before we deal with FA Descalso, Iannetta, Rodney, Martinez.


We're talking about increasing current payroll by ~50% ($93M to $150M) just to keep the 2017 team intact.

Thanks for posting this. I was hoping we could get rid of Tomas to AL as a DH and eat some of his contract, have The owner actually use the new TV money and sign JD and keep Zack. But based on what you posted on next year's salaries, that is not possible. Even selling the baseball cards won't do it.

 

[DWKB]

Can't feel very confident with the statements from Hazen and Hall in this article:

General Manager Mike Hazen didn’t have many answers in terms of how the Diamondbacks’ offseason roster construction might play out, but he did say he didn’t envision many financial impediments if the club chose to bring the team back intact.

That is, minus slugger J.D. Martinez, an impending free agent who figures to command big dollars on the open market this winter.

Hazen was noncommittal on Martinez’s future, stopping short of calling him an offseason “priority” for the Diamondbacks,

[...]

“We’ll see,” Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said of where next year’s payroll could land. “We have to get creative in a few spots financially if we’re going to get aggressive in certain areas.”

[...]

“Can we repeat 93 wins? I don’t know. I think in the past we’ve made the mistake of almost chasing it. After we had a successful 2007, we really went for it in 2008. Then we had a successful 2011 and went for it in 2012. We just have to be careful. These guys are fully aware of that. They’re disciplined.”

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...zen-talks-finances-offseason-plans/752513001/

 

[Shaggy]

Can't feel very confident with the statements from Hazen and Hall in this article:

General Manager Mike Hazen didn’t have many answers in terms of how the Diamondbacks’ offseason roster construction might play out, but he did say he didn’t envision many financial impediments if the club chose to bring the team back intact.

That is, minus slugger J.D. Martinez, an impending free agent who figures to command big dollars on the open market this winter.

Hazen was noncommittal on Martinez’s future, stopping short of calling him an offseason “priority” for the Diamondbacks,

[...]

“We’ll see,” Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said of where next year’s payroll could land. “We have to get creative in a few spots financially if we’re going to get aggressive in certain areas.”

[...]

“Can we repeat 93 wins? I don’t know. I think in the past we’ve made the mistake of almost chasing it. After we had a successful 2007, we really went for it in 2008. Then we had a successful 2011 and went for it in 2012. We just have to be careful. These guys are fully aware of that. They’re disciplined.”

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...zen-talks-finances-offseason-plans/752513001/

At least he isn't saying he isn't going to try to follow what happened in those prior years and not throw boatloads of money around. I hope like crazy they can keep JD and find away to do it.

 

[DWKB]

At least he isn't saying he isn't going to try to follow what happened in those prior years and not throw boatloads of money around. I hope like crazy they can keep JD and find away to do it.

Your second sentence directly contradicts your first sentence.

 

[BC867]

Shaggy said: ↑
At least he isn't saying he isn't going to try to follow what happened in those prior years and not throw boatloads of money around. I hope like crazy they can keep JD and find away to do it.

Your second sentence directly contradicts your first sentence.

Not if throwing money around refers to adding new players to the roster.

Keeping the player who got us into the post season is a different story.

 

[DWKB]

Shaggy said: ↑
At least he isn't saying he isn't going to try to follow what happened in those prior years and not throw boatloads of money around. I hope like crazy they can keep JD and find away to do it.


Not if throwing money around refers to adding new players to the roster.

Keeping the player who got us into the post season is a different story.

You mean like 2007 when we signed Eric Byrnes to 3/$30?

 

[AZ Native]

You mean like 2007 when we signed Eric Byrnes to 3/$30?

OUCH!!!

 

[BC867]

You mean like 2007 when we signed Eric Byrnes to 3/$30?

Are you comparing JD Martinez to the flake who slept in a camper outside the stadium?

 

[DWKB]

Are you comparing JD Martinez to the flake who slept in a camper outside the stadium?

Given your vague description in your defense of Shaggy, they are exactly the same. You stuck your neck out and got your head chopped off BC867, take you loss and move on.

Because it doesn't matter how I see Byrnes vs Martinez, what matters is how Kendrick and Hall see Byrnes vs Martinez. Consider this, J.D. Martinez is on the wrong side of 30 and has played more than 125 games in a MLB season once in his career. Given that information, is that the kind of player you'd think wise to throw large sums of money over many years at to explode a payroll that is already at your maximum of comfort? J.D. could buck all the trends and become healthy. He could buck all the trends and continue to be awesome when healthy into his 30's. He could buck all the trends and be worth the salary he's going to command on the FA market at the top OFer out there. But if you're a small market team, do you take that risk if it means adding another 25% to your total payroll for him?

 

[BC867]

Given your vague description in your defense of Shaggy, they are exactly the same. You stuck your neck out and got your head chopped off BC867, take you loss and move on...

But if you're a small market team, do you take that risk if it means adding another 25% to your total payroll for him?

I just checked in the mirror, DWKB. My head is still intact.

Contrary to your post, I have not suggested adding another 25% to the D-backs payroll. My posts have referred to keeping JD by trading Greinke. His playoff performance supports that at this time. Still, I think there are teams that would want him. Hopefully, we wouldn't have to carry too much of his salary.

Move all-star Robbie Ray to ace and add a #2 or #3 starting pitcher to the staff. We already have him if The Beard gets his request, in which case we'd need a dependable setup as well as closer. A skilled GM should be able to work that out.

I don't like to use negative examples, but a lineup without JD protecting Goldy for most of our 162 games loses us not only JD, but part of Goldy as well. I suggest that is our greatest priority. Without JD, we are not a playoff team and the second half of 2017 will have been a D-backs flash in the pan. I can't be satisfied with that thought. Our hitters carry us, but not without Goldy AND JD as a tandem for the coming years.

I'd be glad to read your specific response to these points.

 

[Shaggy]

Your second sentence directly contradicts your first sentence.

Well, I meant throwing it around stupidly. Trying to figure out away to keep JD and not killing the bank by trading Zack or moving on from Tomas.

 

[GatorAZ]

Well, I meant throwing it around stupidly. Trying to figure out away to keep JD and not killing the bank by trading Zack or moving on from Tomas.

I think we should give away Tomas if it means eating 30 mil of it. That saves 15 or so going forward. An AL team might take a flyer on him if it's costing them less than 5m a year. Problem is he's a DH that can't hit RHP so he may not even be worth that.

 

[DWKB]

Well, I meant throwing it around stupidly. Trying to figure out away to keep JD and not killing the bank by trading Zack or moving on from Tomas.

I get it, but I don't think that's what the FO means.

If you read between the lines, it means they are going to pretend to go after J.D. and if he's stupid enough to forgo a ton of money elsewhere, sign him. He's not though as this is probably his best chance in his career at a good payday (his career earnings so far are probably less than the annual in his upcoming contract).

On top of that, you've got to consider Goldschmidt's payday in 2019. You sign J.D. and you lose Goldy.

 

[DWKB]

I just checked in the mirror, DWKB. My head is still intact.

Contrary to your post, I have not suggested adding another 25% to the D-backs payroll.

My posts have referred to keeping JD by trading Greinke. His playoff performance supports that at this time. Still, I think there are teams that would want him. Hopefully, we wouldn't have to carry too much of his salary.

Move all-star Robbie Ray to ace and add a #2 or #3 starting pitcher to the staff. We already have him if The Beard gets his request, in which case we'd need a dependable setup as well as closer. A skilled GM should be able to work that out.

I don't like to use negative examples, but a lineup without JD protecting Goldy for most of our 162 games loses us not only JD, but part of Goldy as well. I suggest that is our greatest priority. Without JD, we are not a playoff team and the second half of 2017 will have been a D-backs flash in the pan. I can't be satisfied with that thought. Our hitters carry us, but not without Goldy AND JD as a tandem for the coming years.

I'd be glad to read your specific response to these points.

What you've suggested and what the FO is facing are on opposite ends of the earth to be honest. What exactly do you want me to respond with? A team without Greinke is not a playoff team. We are not going to make up the 5.1 WAR he contributed to 2017 in any move you've offered. The numbers don't add up.

My counter to your pseudo-FO scheme is that we hypnotize HOU to send us Altuve for Tomas, move Drury to 3B and trade Lamb to shore up the BP. Then we don't worry about trading Greinke to sign J.D.

Please take this proposal seriously and respond to it specifically.

 

[Matt L]

Why does everyone hate Lamb so much?

 

[DWKB]

Why does everyone hate Lamb so much?

I don't hate Lamb at all, but in my fantasy scenario, he's $4M more expensive than Drury and we need that money to sign Martinez.

 

[Matt L]

JD Martinez was great for us over the last 2-3 months but I think the starting pitching was really the driving force behind this playoff push. Greinke and Ray had great years. Walker and Godley were solid and Corbin had a stretch where he was pretty good too. I think it is okay if they let JD go and try to fill in the OF spot cheaply with a platoon.

If they really want to spend money, i think it should be on short term contracts for the bullpen.

 

[Ronin]

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[BC867]

What you've suggested and what the FO is facing are on opposite ends of the earth to be honest. What exactly do you want me to respond with? A team without Greinke is not a playoff team. We are not going to make up the 5.1 WAR he contributed to 2017 in any move you've offered. The numbers don't add up.

My counter to your pseudo-FO scheme is that we hypnotize HOU to send us Altuve for Tomas, move Drury to 3B and trade Lamb to shore up the BP. Then we don't worry about trading Greinke to sign J.D.

Please take this proposal seriously and respond to it specifically.

"Hypnotizing HOU to send us Altuve for Tomas" is difficult to take seriously, don'tcha think? But trading Lamb and moving Drury to his natural position of 3B is a good idea. Not ideal, but a step in the right direction. And use Owings as our regular 2B.

 

[DWKB]

"Hypnotizing HOU to send us Altuve for Tomas" is difficult to take seriously, don'tcha think? But trading Lamb and moving Drury to his natural position of 3B is a good idea. Not ideal, but a step in the right direction. And use Owings as our regular 2B.

Hahaha!!

Yeah.....that's the point. The only way to take your crazy seriously is to suggest crazy of my own. I don't know how you don't see that.