According to Steve Henson, Joe Saunders is returning to the Diamondbacks.

In my last post, discussing the lack of a 5th starter in Arizona, I mentioned that it was highly unlikely that one of the “kids” was breaking camp as the 5th guy.

Apparently, Kevin Towers agreed with me.

This comes sort of out of nowhere, with the Dbacks at maximum payroll and missing out on Bartolo Colon (potentially for monetary reasons) and boom! Here we are today.

Saunders was a solid part of the rotation last year, pitching 212 innings for the Dbacks in 2011 (and he pitched 203 between Arizona and the Angles in 2010). His 33 games started was good for 4th in the NL last year.

He has a career ERA of 4.16, but had his 2nd best ERA last year at 3.69 (his best coming in his 2008 All-Star season for the LAA). Some of his other numbers (K/9, BB/9, WHIP, etc…) aren’t as pretty, but he’s very durable and dependable and both Bill James and RotoChamp (via fangraphs) project him to have a year comparable to his previous years (though, not as good as last year). And, frankly, 200 innings of  4.1 ERA baseball isn’t something to take for granted.

Jon Heyman has reported that the deal is for $6MM, which is $2.7M less than he was possibly going to get if he had been tendered a contract and had gone through arbitration. It also means that he’s more likely to be paid for a season that more closely resembles his career average than last year’s somewhat anomalous good season.

If he performs to his career standard, he’s being paid appropriately, and if he repeats last year, he’s a bit of a bargain. Saving money is a recipe for success in a small market team, so as a fan, its hard not to like that.

Unless you’re a Dbacks rookie. You were probably much more excited for spring training when that job was available.

Certainly, no one was trying to drive him out of town at the end of last season, the value of a veteran pitcher in a room of young guys can’t be overlooked, and it seems that he’s coming back at what appears to be a relative bargain.

So… I’m cool with it. I’m sure Kevin Towers is glad about that.

(Also, no post yesterday, partially because I had to work about a bazillion hours and partially because I was busy guest-hosting at The Pulse in preparation for Tune In Tuesday. Fortunately, the boys in Arizona waited until today to decide to do something important.)

So, with Bartolo Colon headed to Oakland, it looks like the search is still on for that 5th starter.

It seems  Bartolo Colon is headed in a “different direction” than the Dbacks: Possibly, he is heading in the direction of the $$. Or, if I’m being generous, perhaps it really was as sentimental as following his heart and going back from whence he came — back in the direction of his previous comfort zone in the AL West.

Predictably, this has started the rallying cries of much of the fan base (or, at least, the vocal portion) to give the spot to one of the young kids.

Its not Spring Training – yet! – so there’s still time for that elusive 5th starter to be added and the well hasn’t quite run dry on potential pitchers, either via free-agency (There’s still Oswalt, potentially looking for a shorter-term deal to rebuild his value. And, hey! Isn’t Edwin Jackson still available? He always pitched well for Arizona.***) or trade (I seem to recall that the Yankees currently have a 7 man rotation). Also, there’s at least one veteran invite to Spring Training that probably has his eye on that 5th starter gig.

But, it isn’t impossible that one of the young guns invited to camp will break camp with the team, if the front office decides that everyone is either too expensive or too risky or a combination of both.

As it stands now, the fifth spot is still up for grabs, and the longer it goes unclaimed, the more likely it is to go to one of the young guns and the more intense the competition is going to be at spring training.

And, after today’s news, I’m pretty sure that any prospect in the Arizona system with an invite to Spring Training in their hand is probably making sure they start eating their Wheaties for breakfast.

*** ps: The Edwin Jackson comment was totally facetious, people. Just clearing that up, in case you thought I was serious.

So, with the Athletics negotiating with Bartolo Colon and putting a wrench in my plan to accompany every pitching-related post for 2012 by a picture of a LOLcat, I figured today would be a good opportunity to catch up on some good news from the Dbacks’ family.

Firstly. At the end of last season, Dbacks CEO Derrick Hall was diagnosed with prostate cancer. So he scheduled his surgery for after the post season and, when it happened, things were much more progressed than they’d originally thought.

So, while he was awaiting his rechecks, there a  lot more trepidation than anyone had been anticipating. But, late last week, Derrick Hall announced that everything was clear.

And, then, the next day, he posted a picture to his twitter account, taken of a sign his daughter had made for him.

» Continue reading “Off-Field Happenings Or: Good News From The DBacks’ Family”

And, just when I thought I was going to have trouble coming up with things to write about today, this happened:

While I’m not opposed to the idea of a veteran starter on a 1 year contract as a general principle… This one just seems really, REALLY weird. (How’s that for in-depth baseball analysis?!)

Also, consider:

Trevor Cahill – Age 23

Daniel Hudson – Age 24

Josh Collmenter – Age 25

Ian Kennedy – Age 27

… Bartolo Colon – Age 38

./`  One of these things is not like the other…
One of these things just doesn’t belong… ./`

Is there any situation that can’t best be described by LOLcats? I’m beginning to think not.

(Edited for some baseball-related thoughts:)

So, yes, the Diamondbacks need a 5th starter. They non-tendered Joe Saunders (a steady presence in last year’s rotation, pitching north of 200 innings) and Micah Owings (who pretty much pitched whenever and wherever they told him to and couldn’t buy a loss, even when he tried. The kid had a golden horseshoe shoved where the sun don’t shine this year. Exhibit A. Exhibit B.)  

I’m going to go out on a limb and make a bold prediction: I’d bet my left shoe that Tyler Skaggs isn’t breaking camp with the team out of Spring Training.

It’s a pretty safe bet that no small market team is going to risk their top pitching prospect (and someone they’re banking on becoming a future anchor of the pitching staff) becoming a Super Two. Not when there are people to be had on the free agent (and trade) market that could fill in as the 5th starter in the offensively-iffy NL West.

Also, he’s 20 years old. Sure, it happens (hello, Felix Hernandez), but I’m not sure its happening this year. (Felix Hernandez is not the standard by which the trajectory of all pitching prospects should be predicted.)

Hence, Kevin Towers looking for a veteran on a 1-2 year contract to bridge the gap. And, his past history says Colon would potentially do okay in the NL West.

Now, I know its all rumor and speculation, but so far, in his tenure Kevin Towers hasn’t really been Alex Anthopoulos or even Kenny Williams, pulling off trades away from rumor or moves that are so ridiculous, you can’t believe its true until it happens. Things seem to usually be logical, predictable and believable. Usually.

So, its weird, but it makes sense. And, it is logical, predictable and believable. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes of it all.

 If only I were patient.

So, it was fairly traumatizing to see Chase Field all done up for a football game.

Well, today, the grounds crew at Chase Field has truly outdone themselves.

I am somewhat irrationally jealous that all of these other things are taking over the baseball field.

Yes, I appreciate that alternate uses of the building generate income which is always a good thing for the longevity of a franchise and the maintenance of the building’s structure and esthetics.

However, that doesn’t mean the site of all that dirt piled up on the pretty green grass doesn’t hurt my soul, just a little bit.

Way to go, universe. Just keep rubbing in that there’s no baseball yet.

Just keep rubbing it in.

Since there’s nothing new to report on the Dback’s front today, it seems like as good of a time as any to re-live some of 2011 Diamondbacks awesomeness.

There was a home run derby during All-Star weekend at Chase Field in Arizona this year. Maybe you heard about it?

Well, for the fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks (or, at least for this fan), there was a far more important home run derby. [Click on the photo to watch the video.]

It was also an incredibly well timed explosion of offense. Watching the boys crank out four (FOUR!!) home runs in a must-win game 4 of the NLDS was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Now, I am much more likely to impressed (amazed, entertained, awestruck, etc…) by gravity-defying feats of defense, but even I can’t help but be impressed by a four (FOUR!!) home run game in the post-season.

Ahh… memories.

Listen people, baseball season better hurry up and get here. Yesterday, I bought a package of sunflower seeds just because there was an MLB logo on them.  I’m not sure, but that might be a sign I’m starting to lose it. Send help.

Via the official website, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced that they have scheduled their annual fanfest for Saturday February 11th.

Or, as the press release succinctly put it:

Eighth annual Subway D-backs FanFest takes place one month from today!!

(Exclamation points are mine.)

It looks like it is going to be a fun filled, social media-driven afternoon.

It also looks like every Dback player, coach, broadcaster and their mother is showing up for the event, so it looks to be a busy and fun time. If you find yourself in the greater Phoenix area on February 11th, you should make time to go check it out.

The event is free, autographs are free for kids under 12, and big kids can get autographs for a $5 donation to the Diamondbacks’ charitable foundation. Which is so exactly the type of awesomeness that we expect from the Diamondbacks’ front office.

A partial list of other things set to happen that afternoon include:

• D-backs home clubhouse tours
• Question and answer sessions with D-backs players, coaches, broadcasters and alumni
• Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation Yard Sale
• D-backs Training Centers Wiffle ball fields and clinics featuring D-backs players and coaches
• FOX Sports Arizona KidKaster auditions
• Sign ups to audition to sing the national anthem or be a Rally-back, Golden Glover or D-backs Legends Race participant

Check out the official press release for the full list of activities and expected attendees.

If you’re dying to get back to the ballpark, this might be your chance. And, seriously, its free.

In honor of the good people at subway who are keeping the afternoon free (and, evidently, giving away gift-cards with money on them), I’ve plastered a subway logo at the top of this post.  And, I might have to go and get myself a sandwich for dinner.

I mean, a girl’s gotta eat, I might as well support the people who support baseball.

First things first:

You may or may not have realized that, last night, #ShoutOutToTheGirlsThat was trending on twitter.

If I haven’t mentioned yet how much I love and adore the people who write the dbacks’ twitter account, this would probably be an appropriate time.

Exhibit A:

However, that was not actually the point of today’s post. 

Gerardo Parra is all over the Dbacks’ blogosphere these days and everyone from the general manager (at the time of the trade) to the CEO (last week) to the manager (yesterday) is frantically trying to reassure the concerned members of the fanbase (myself included) who want to know what is going to happen to Gerardo Parra’s playing time next year.

As I covered in a previous post (“Why I’m Scared of Jason Kubel“), Gerardo Parra had a very good 2011. Among the many things he accomplished was a NL-leading 12 outfield assists. It’s not just the glove that should be made of gold.

Unfortunately, not all of his assists archived at mlb.com for future enjoyment, but the 4 and a half that were are well worth the time. Check ‘em out, it will be fun for you. Because who doesn’t enjoy a play at the plate and baserunning blunders?

4 and 1/2 Outfield Assists – Courtesy of Gerardo Parra

1. You don’t go for two with that arm in left, yo.  

 2. Two outs are better than one .

 3. He makes people look silly trying to score from second. Even Bonafacio, who is pretty speedy. 

4. It’s September 3. People should have learned not to run on Gerardo Parra’s left arm by this point. Especially since Beltran plays in the same division.

5.  This wasn’t a putout, but it totally would have been. Except, this time, Bonafacio decided not to run. Probably because the game was tied (unlike 1 month later, where they were losing a blowout). 

 Until tomorrow, folks!

fangraphs.com

So, since we’re still twiddling our thumbs in the land of the Diamondbacks, waiting for something to happen (or dreading that something bad will happen), today’s post is very, very random.

Today, I have compiled a list of random stats from the 2011 season.

Because you can never have too many ridiculous baseball stats.

For what its worth, I have limited my selection to those Snakes on the original post-season roster. Because doing this for everyone who played a game for the Diamondbacks this season? Well, now, that would just be ridiculous. (Which, obviously, this post is not. In any way.)

PITCHERS (11)

Micah Owings – Was the only pitcher who’s batting average = his OBP = slugging percentage.

Brad Ziegler – Had the lowest batting average against of any member of the pitching staff when facing RH batters (0.170).

David Hernandez – Had the lowest batting average against of the entire pitching staff… with the bases empty.

Ian Kennedy – As a hitter, led the Dbacks pitching staff with the most strikeouts. And, the most walks. Also, he pitched pretty well, too.

Joe Saunders – Caught more base stealers than any other member of the pitching staff.

Bryan Shaw – In a very small sample size, had a k/9 of 18.00 against the SF Giants. Of course, he also walked as many as he struck out.

J.J. Putz – Led the team in K/9 by more than a full point after the all-star break.

Daniel Hudson – As a hitter, he had nearly 2x as many total bases (24) as the next closest pitcher (13, Joe Saunders).

Joe Paterson – Had the lowest WHIP at home all season. Also, had the lowest WHIP and ERA in NLDS (he faced one batter and struck him out).

Josh Collmenter – Threw the only Quality Start in the LDS.

Jarrod Parker – Has only had to pitch to one batter with anyone on base. He struck him out.

CATCHERS (2)

Henry Blanco – Had the highest OPS of any position player on the Dbacks last year… with no one on base.

Miguel Montero – Had the longest hitting streak on the team this year (18 games).

INFIELDERS (8)

Aaron Hill – Highest BA on the team with a 3-2 count.

Sean Burroughs – Saw the highest number of pitches per PA with the bases loaded (8.00)

Ryan Roberts – Was the man most likely to come to bat with the bases loaded (15 times), he hit 0.462 with the bases loaded with a 0.533 OBP. (Also, is the subject of the WPA graph that is posted at the top of today’s entry. With his bases loaded, bottom of the 10th, ultimate (walk-off) grand-slam against the Dodgers, he pretty much maxed out the Win Probability Added statistic. See fangraphs for more info.)

John McDonald -Was the only Dback to have his only at-bat of a game come with the bases loaded. Twice.

Willie Bloomquist – Had the most stolen bases in the NLDS with 3.

Geoff Blum – Was most likely to walk when used as a pinch hitter (3).

Lyle Overbay – Had the greatest number of walks per PA (0.5) during day games.

Paul Goldschmidt – Had the highest batting average of any position player in an 0-2 count.

OUTFIELDERS (4)

Collin Cowgill – Was the only DBack to bat 1.000 in the NLDS. He went 1-for-1 with a single and 2 RBIs.

Gerardo Parra – Had the highest quadruple slash line of any Diamondbacks position player in interleague play this year.

Justin Upton – Led the team in HR, in the 7th inning or later (10), and pretty much every other offensive category. And, being HBP. There was no contest. Though, with the trade of Carlos Quentin to the Padres, it’s going to be a tight race to be the top of the NL this year.  

Chris Young – Led the team in power and extra-base hits in the NLDS. Good timing.

And, now you know. Go forth and impress your friends and family with your wealth of random knowledge.

Continued from yesterday’s look at the pitchers invited to Spring Training, today at “Snakes on the Grass” we take a look at the position players who were invited to come along and join in the madness.

• Ryan Budde
• Age: 32, Draft: 2001 – LA Angels of Anaheim, 12th round
• Service Time: MLB – 1.02 years (9 years of MiLB service time)
• 2011 Highlights: Pitched one inning of 1H, 1BB, 2SO  baseball in a blowout for the Las Vegas 51′s last year where they lost 19-5. This is not really relevant to this discussion, but I’m going to post a recap of that game for your entertainment (as posted on sbnation.com, with a few spelling corrections by yours truly):

Las Vegas pitchers gave up 19 runs and Kyle Drabek wasn’t even pitching! Reidier Gonzalez gave up 10 runs in three innings, but B.J. LaMura definitely outdid him by giving up 8 in just a single inning.

On the other hand, catcher Ryan Budde pitched a scoreless eighth, giving up a hit and a walk but striking out two. And outfielder Danny Perales pitched a scoreless ninth, with one hit allowed but no walks and a strikeout.

• 2011 Stats: .234 / .331 / .376 / .707 (in the launching pad of Las Vegas)
• Other things of note: Played a small number of games in 2007-2010 with the Angels, spent all of 2011 on the Blue Jays’ AAA squad in Las Vegas. Signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks in November 2011 as a free agent. Other than that, I couldn’t really find enough information on him to compile anything useful with regards to his defensive abilities as a catcher, other than his caught stealing percentage, which is a solid 34%.
• Other, other things of note: From his general ability to consistently keep a AAA gig, I would say he’s probably a decent defensive asset and can stay healthy. While Reno is certainly not the same as Las Vegas, hopefully he liked living in Nevada last year.

• Ed Easley
• Age: 26; Draft: 2007 –  Arizona Diamondbacks – 1st round
• Service Time: MiLB – 4 years
• 2011 Highlights: Split time between AA Mobile and AAA Reno in 2010, but spent all of 2011 in Mobile and posted career high marks in almost every offensive category. Unfortunately, still nowhere near the numbers either he or the organization were hoping for from a former 1st rd draft pick.
• 2011 Stats: .273 / .352 / .370 / .722
• Other things of note: Again, finding defensive metrics is pretty well next to impossible, and, really its hard to even know how they translate, because doing league-wide comparisons is impossible, particularly in the off-season. BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT CATCHERS.
• Other, other things of note: Since I’ll have to settle for yacking about another offensive metric, I have chosen ISO. Basically, the measure of power (ie: how many extra bases do you get, or your slugging percentage minus all of your singles). Last year, Easley’s was 0.097. For comparison, the best of the best was Jose Bautista at .306. Worst was Juan Pierre at 0.049. And, if you plugged Easley in there at 0.097, he would have been 0.004 better than Derek Jeter. So, there’s that.

• Rossmel Perez
• Age: 22; Foreign free agent – played first for the Dbacks in 2006 at age 16 in the Dominican Summer League
• Service Time: MiLB – 5 years
• 2011 Highlights: Spent all of 2011 in A+ Visalia, having his best offensive season since 2007 rookie ball
• 2011 Stats: .287 / .373 / .347 / .720
• Other things of note: He upped his BB% and kept his K% at career levels, for a career high BB/K rate. As a catcher, notching 6 stolen bases in 7 attempts is pretty intriguing. Baseball America rated him as the best defensive catcher in the organization prior to 2011. He had a range factor in 2011 (Putouts + assists/games played) that would have led MLB qualifiers, which may or may not translate, but is fun to think about. Also, he throws out potential base stealers at a 38% clip over his pro career. This would have put him directly below Miguel Montero (go team!) in terms of the MLB qualifiers last year. Prospect watch is a go!

Infielders (5):

• Matt Davidson – 1B
• Age: 20; Draft: 2009 – Arizona Diamondbacks –  1st rd
• Service Time: MiLB – 2 years
• 2011 Highlights:
• 2011 Stats: .277 / .348 / .465 / .814
• Other things of note: Tied for 8th in the CAL league in hit-by-pitches this year (11). One of 8 20-year olds on the offensive leaderboard (fangraphs) with the eyeball test showing the average age being 22-24. He seems to have adjusted to A+ in 2011. He was promoted mid-way through 2010 and had a marked decrease in .avg following his promotion (he had a ridiculous increase in BB%, but that has regressed back to his normal levels in 2011) but that improved this year. He walks too little and strikes out too much, but hopefully now that he’s adjusted to A+, the plate discipline will come. I’m excited to see him in spring training, because why not?
• Can’t get enough?:  @MattDavidson6

• Chris Owings – SS
• Age: 20; Draft: 2009 – Arizona Diamondbacks –  1st round
• Service Time: MiLB – 2 years
• 2011 Highlights: Promoted to A+ this year. Has spent each of his 3 years in pro ball systematically moving up the organization.
• 2011 Stats: .246 / .274 / .388 / .662
• Other things of note: He’s still aggressive at the plate and his stats did regress a little with his promotion to A+ this year, but he’s super toolsy with a great arm, and he is a total wild card. It remains to be seen if he’s going to reach his ceiling, his floor or even out somewhere in the middle. Welcome to camp, dude. Maybe we’ll see you in AA after the spring?
• Can’t get enough?: @cowings5

• Cody Ransom – Util IF
• Age: 35; Draft: 1998 – San Francisco Giants – 9th round
• Service Time: 3.01 years
• 2011 Highlights: Played 3B/SS for the Dbacks in 2011 (12 games)
• 2011 Stats: .152 / .243 / .303 / .546
• Other things of note: Has played for Giants/Yankees/Phillies/Astros/Diamondbacks in the last 10 years. Spent most of 2010 & 2011 with AAA Reno as a utility infielder. Never played a full season in the majors, but has posted a career -0.8 WAR, with a negative offensive WAR, but a positive defensive value. Seems to be in the vein of Johnny Mac. I imagine 2012 looks a lot like 2011 for him, but if Stephen Drew is healthy, maybe he’s spending a little more time in Reno.

• Rusty Ryal – Util
• Age: 28; Draft: 2005 – Arizona Diamondbacks – 14th round
• Service Time: ~1.5 years
• 2011 Highlights: Played in Japan (Yomiuri Giants), playing 1B, 2B, 3B.
• 2011 Stats: .198 / .238 / .240 / .477
• Other things of note: Played 104 games with the Dbacks in 2010, where he played LF, 1B, 3B and a game at DH. Released in December 2010, but signed again this offseason. Hard to imagine this as anything more than a depth move. But, welcome back Rusty.

• Ryan Wheeler – 3B/1B
• Age: 23; Draft: 2009 – Arizona Diamondbacks – 5th round
• Service Time: MiLB – 2 years
• 2011 Highlights: Second year (first full year) in AA Mobile. Southern league player of the week, Southern league post-season all–star, Arizona Fall League player of the week and AFL Rising Stars game.
• 2011 Stats: .294 / .358 / .465 / .822
• Other things of note: Switched to 3B this year after falling behind Paul Goldschmidt on the depth chart in Mobile. Has previously hit for average, but improved his power numbers in 2011. 2012 will probably be another year of working on his defense at his new position.
• Can’t get enough?: @RyanWheeler45

Outfielders (3):

• Adam Eaton – CF
• Age: 23; Draft: 2010 –  Arizona Diamondbacks – 19th round
• Service Time: MiLB – 1 year
• 2011 Highlights: Skyrocketed from Rookie ball to AA Mobile this year, pretty much being equally successful everywhere he went (he came mildly back down to earth in AA, but not really). Tore up the AFL as well, with the highest number of runs scored. Named a Cal League mid-season all-star and named to the AFL all-prospect team.
• 2011 Stats: .318 /.434 /.463 / .897 (combined)
• Other things of note: Firstly, this is not the Adam Eaton you are looking for.  Secondly, he is fast (42 stolen bases with a 71% success rate), hits for average and power and he’s fearless. He’s also 5 foot 8″ and, as a fellow vertically-challenged individual, I love it. I know that its kind of silly to get all jacked up about prospects, but whatever.
• Other, other things of note: If you want to read more about him, read this story. In fact, read it even if you don’t think you want to. Then you can say you knew him when. This is possibly the prospect I’m most eager to lay eyes on. Even if he’s a tiny 19th rounder. Possibly just because of that, actually.
• Can’t get enough?:  @AdamSpankyEaton

• Marc Krauss – corner OF
• Age: 24; Draft: 2009 – Arizona Diamondbacks –  2nd round
• Service Time: MiLB – 2 years
• 2011 Highlights: First year at AA Mobile. Elected to the SOU all-star team. His numbers fell off a bit after his promotion from A+, but he seemed to improve his BB% with a relatively stable K% rate.
• 2011 Stats: .242 / .340 / .439 / .779
• Other things of note: Has some power, but there’s some question about his defensive capabilities from those in the know. My best guess is that he’s coming to camp for the cursory look afforded to pretty much everyone who is performing well at AA who was a second round draft pick. I think he’ll be back in Mobile after the spring. But, who am I, really?

• A.J. Pollock – CF/RF
• Age: 24; Draft: 2009 -Arizona Diamondbacks- 1st round
• Service Time: MiLB – 2 years
• 2011 Highlights: Elected to the SOU mid-season and post-season all-star teams. Posted a solid year after coming back from an elbow injury in 2010.
• 2011 Stats: .307 / .357 / .444 / .801
• Other things of note: Kevin Towers thought he was a year or two away last year. The outfield is pretty crowded in AZ these days. If he’s truly ready this year, someone (either himself or one of the regulars) is probably going on the trade block. If he’s got a year to wait, well… the outfield is going to look pretty much the same as it does this year, except for Parra, who will be entering his first year of arbitration. Something’s going to have to give. But, probably not in 2012.