Team Shapeing out pretty well

[Phill11]

Team Shaping out pretty well

Let me say this first. I was undecided on wether to rebuild. I mean, it'd take a good 3-5 years to rebuild at the minimum for this team. The teams farm system is very weak.

So, I'm somewhat happy to see the DBacks go after these quality free agents. The 2 signings that worry me are, 1 Russ Ortiz and 2 Shawn Estes. I have a feeling Ortiz will be just like Dessens but with a bigger contract. Then Estes is just going to get crushed.

I love the signing of Glaus. He'll be a good "Veteran" for the team. Gonzo, him and Green make a very good middle of the lineup.

I'm also a big fan of the Green trade. Even if we had to give him 3 years, $35 million, I would have been for it. Because really, we got him for his value. Around $7 million a year. He's going to have a killer year at BOB too. He'll also add leadership, and a positive attitude to the team.

The only thing I'd like to see this team do, is while their on thier spending spree, they should sign Magglio Ordonez and (Yes, And.) Hideo Nomo. Magglio will want around 4 years, 50 million I'm guessing. Nomo could be a steal. A rotation of Vazquez-Ortiz-Webb-Nomo-Estes ain't bad at all.

So, I'm really liking the team so far. What about everyone else?

 

[Lefty]

I like that Estes was signed for only one year.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Let me say this first. I was undecided on wether to rebuild. I mean, it'd take a good 3-5 years to rebuild at the minimum for this team. The teams farm system is very weak.

So, I'm somewhat happy to see the DBacks go after these quality free agents. The 2 signings that worry me are, 1 Russ Ortiz and 2 Shawn Estes. I have a feeling Ortiz will be just like Dessens but with a bigger contract. Then Estes is just going to get crushed.

I love the signing of Glaus. He'll be a good "Veteran" for the team. Gonzo, him and Green make a very good middle of the lineup.

I'm also a big fan of the Green trade. Even if we had to give him 3 years, $35 million, I would have been for it. Because really, we got him for his value. Around $7 million a year. He's going to have a killer year at BOB too. He'll also add leadership, and a positive attitude to the team.

The only thing I'd like to see this team do, is while their on thier spending spree, they should sign Magglio Ordonez and (Yes, And.) Hideo Nomo. Magglio will want around 4 years, 50 million I'm guessing. Nomo could be a steal. A rotation of Vazquez-Ortiz-Webb-Nomo-Estes ain't bad at all.

So, I'm really liking the team so far. What about everyone else?

First off, I dont think the Diamondbacks have another 12 million to go after Ordonez. That said, Im liking it so far simply because we have been able to vastly improve the team within a decent budget without giving up any piece of the excellent farm system. I just hope it stays that way, I dont want to see any more major moves made. I say we trade Hillenbrand and/or Cintron for whatever we can get, sign our 4th outfielder to fill out the bench (or somebody who can split time with Terrero), and add another decent bullpen guy or two that can just eat innings and call it an off-season. The key to the season will be the rotation, nobody in it can have an off year, we need Vazquez, Ortiz, Webb, and Estes to all perform what they are capable of and what they have done in recent seasons. Then we need one of Villareal/Gosling/Gonzalez/Halsey to step up and adaquately fill the 5th spot (my guess would be Villareal as long as he returns healthy). As long as that happens the team should be fine. The only one in the rotation I am really worried about is Estes, becoming the 05 version of Reynolds/Sparks/Dessens/Helling/Whoever is a possibility, but he doesnt need to be an all-star, all he needs to be is mediocre in the 4 spot. Anything below an ERA of 5 or so for him (which is about his career average) would be a help. If these things can happen and we can stay healthy, we have a legitimate shot in the wide open NL West.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If these things can happen and we can stay healthy, we have a legitimate shot in the wide open NL West.

You had me (with the exception of penciling in Terrero as our CF) up until this. The Giants and the Padres are easily better than us on paper. We will be vastly improved though and possibly good enough for second if the Giants geriatric OF goes limp.

 

[Dback Jon]

You had me (with the exception of penciling in Terrero as our CF) up until this. The Giants and the Padres are easily better than us on paper. We will be vastly improved though and possibly good enough for second if the Giants geriatric OF goes limp.

Or MLB is serious about steriod testing

 

[Ryanwb]

I still only see this team as a .500 club...

1) 2nd base is still a question mark defensively
2) Is Gonzo going to be healthy?
3) Is Chad Tracy going to be a liability at 1st?

I like the idea of Ordonez and I think he can come cheap (under 10 million) because of the ??? surrounding his mystery knee surgery. If not I would like to see either Conor Jackson or Carlos Quinton have a shot at RF and move Green to 1st.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

You had me (with the exception of penciling in Terrero as our CF) up until this. The Giants and the Padres are easily better than us on paper. We will be vastly improved though and possibly good enough for second if the Giants geriatric OF goes limp.

Well, I didnt say we would win it, just that we would compete in the NL West. The Padres and Giants look pretty good too, but I just dont see any team running away with the division.

 

[Lefty]

Stay away from Ordonez. They are comparing his injury to what ended Bo Jackson's career.

 

[Phill11]

Stay away from Ordonez. They are comparing his injury to what ended Bo Jackson's career.

Maybe we go cheap and sign Brian Jordan and Hideo Nomo then...

 

[Evil Ash]

You had me (with the exception of penciling in Terrero as our CF) up until this. The Giants and the Padres are easily better than us on paper. We will be vastly improved though and possibly good enough for second if the Giants geriatric OF goes limp.

True to a point but the Giants are relying heavily on aged veterans (that could turn out well for them or be a complete disaster due to inuries ... I don't think there is really an inbetween as it comes to them) and the Padres have to learn how to win in their new ball park. The Padres still have a lineup that revolves around players that hit the long ball and as they showed last year it didn't work out too well (they have the talent but this is still a major hurdle for them to win the West).

If we get another pitcher in the Burnett/Zito/Penny mold I think we could be in the hunt in a division that quite frankly isn't very good. Would there still be questions about this team (namely in the health dept)? Absolutely but if things break the right way for this team, they still can contend IMO.

 

[Ryanwb]

Stay away from Ordonez. They are comparing his injury to what ended Bo Jackson's career.

Bo Jackson had a degenerative hip condition Ordonez had knee surgery.... how are "they" comparing the two?

 

[Evil Ash]

Maybe we go cheap and sign Brian Jordan and Hideo Nomo then...

No thanks

 

[Ryanwb]

Stay away from Ordonez. They are comparing his injury to what ended Bo Jackson's career.

Yeah you're right it's "bone marrow edema"

 

[Stan C]

If Nomo pitches like he did against us, I'd like to see him here. But I don't want to see him pitch against us anymore. You might want to take a pillow on the nights he pitches though, moves about as fast as Armando.

 

[schillingfan]

D-Backs line-up looks significantly improved. Don't like the pitching staff though. Not enough good pitchers, not enough depth.

 

[FORKTUNG]

Im not holding my breath on this re vamp lineup but a few of the TV games may be entertaining, heh.

Spending 60-65 mil is not exactly opening up the wallet on a MLB level IMO.

 

[moviegeekjn]

Dbacks significantly better than last year's often unwatchable squad... Should be more entertaining to watch; however, they are likely destined for mediocrity... somewhere close to .500 is reasonable, given the pitching staff. Padres appear to be the most solid team in the division, but they are certainly no lock, and if the NL West turns out to be mediocre, the Dbacks could conceivably "compete" for the division.

 

[binkar]

I still only see this team as a .500 club...

1) 2nd base is still a question mark defensively
2) Is Gonzo going to be healthy?
3) Is Chad Tracy going to be a liability at 1st?

I like the idea of Ordonez and I think he can come cheap (under 10 million) because of the ??? surrounding his mystery knee surgery. If not I would like to see either Conor Jackson or Carlos Quinton have a shot at RF and move Green to 1st.

I think there are alot more questions than that.

such as...

1) Is Glaus goin to be healthy and play like his old self (or anything close).
2) Is Green fully recovered and going to play like his old self.
3) Center Field is still a hole.
4) What Javy Vazquez will we get? The one before the break or the one after?
5) Brandon Webb of 2 years ago or Brandon Webb of last season?
6) Who is going to be our 5th starter?
7) Estes, a 15-8 pitcher or a 5.84 ERA pitcher (I know it was in Colorado and that makes the ERA not so bad but still).
8) Royce Clayton the .228 hitter from 2003 or the .279 hitter from 2004.
9) Will atleast one of our catchers turn out to be any good?

There are probably many more but this team is FULL of question marks.

 

[Kolo]

Yeah you're right it's "bone marrow edema"

Long term steroid use causes avascular necrosis, weakening bones generally and creating a condition where supportive bones (like the femur and the hip bones) break far more easily and heal with far more difficulty--which is why people with severe asthma (treated usually w/ heavy dosages of steroids) are much more likely to have hip replacements later in life.

Not saying Bo juiced, but it's food for thought.

 

[moviegeekjn]

Interesting article in Hardball Times about the Dbacks off season moves:

The Diamondbacks have made some big moves this offseason and they will undoubtedly be vastly improved this season. At the same time, I can't help but think Arizona fans are in for a disappointing year. Rebounding from a 111-loss season by bringing in boatloads of risky veterans does a lot to restore hope in the team, but it is not the way to put a sustainable winner in place for the long term. The Diamondbacks will take several steps forward this year regardless of whether or not everyone stays healthy and productive, but the future is not especially bright and even their prospects for 2005 hinge an awful lot on everything going right. Much like the model laid forth by the Mets and Orioles in recent years, what Arizona has done this offseason seems like a lot of hype and false hope on the way to a bunch of 75-win seasons.

 

[schillingfan]

I'd pretty much agree with the Hardball Times Assessment. I'd be a lot happier without the multi-year deals for mediocre or oft-injured players. I don't like Shawn Green blocking the outfielders of the future, but maybe he will be moved to 1st base.

 

[AZZenny]

I agree completely with the Hardball assessment, and it explains why I am increasingly disappointed in the new owners. It's expensive window-dressing to an unacceptable degree.

On the other hand, as businessmen, I suppose they feel they have a better chance of minimizing loss of the fan base by giving the impression of bold steps/competitive/ blah blah, and as I said before - as long as they don't trade away any of the handful of true super prospects (not for anything less than a baseball god which neither Byrnes nor Zito nor Cameron is), I'll still follow the team. (e.g., If they wanted to trade Carlos Quentin for Ichiro, or Conor for Scott Rolen or Pujols, I'd gulp and take it.)

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Hit the nail on the head Zen. I doubt the DBacks (or any sane person for that matter) really thinks this team is going to be able to win a World Series in the near future. But I think the owners realized after 18 months of PR nightmares that if they gutted the team they may permanently lose a large portion of the fanbase in a very fickle sports region. They were probably right.

So they are going to put on a facade of competitiion and keep the season ticket holders in place until the bad feelings of the last year and a half subside. $60 million is not a ridiculous number, certainly not like the $100 million travesties the Mets and Orioles have put on the field. Enough to stay competitive but not enough to drive us into financial hell. Anybody notice all our big contracts end just as the Drew-Jackson-Quentin crew will be entering their primes? Trust me, it's intentional.

 

[AZZenny]

OK, have to admit that reading the article in the paper today about the attitude and behavior of some of the young guys on the 2003-2004 team made me step back and rethink the moves they've made and their main rationale.

The anonymous quotes sound like Gonzo all over (and nobody else is left to be making these comments that I can think of) saying the kids were laughing at their teammates on the field and not taking winning or losing seriously, etc. (hmmm...then again, the fans were often laughing at them, too, if only to keep from crying.)

I'd say part of the current plan is to get solid citizens, adequate pros, probably move a number of self-absorbed juveniles (you know who you are, Alex...). If they're smart they'll finally follow Schillingfan's mantra and make the current crop of minor league guys actually pay all their dues before bringing them up here.

In their defense - we had a whole slew of injured, bored kids sitting there spitting sunflower seeds watching and playing unbearably bad baseball, AND - every comment I have read from Gonzo in the past two years about the influx of kids has been snipey and condescending, so I am not sure anyone did their part to pull the team together.

 

[moviegeekjn]

I'd say part of the current plan is to get solid citizens, adequate pros, probably move a number of self-absorbed juveniles (you know who you are, Alex...). If they're smart they'll finally follow Schillingfan's mantra and make the current crop of minor league guys actually pay all their dues before bringing them up here.

Would hope so... Of course, they'll spin things about how the team plans to compete this year, but just approaching .500 would be huge, considering the personnel...

btw, check out Baseball Prospectus' "All star Hacking Squad" (NOT a team any player wants to be named to). The Dbacks now have 3 members: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/hm/index.php?mode=allstar