Relief help hard to find
CHICAGO -- Just like Arizona real estate, it's clearly a seller's market when it comes to relief pitching these days.
With the number of teams that are still in their division or Wild Card races and the number of teams with struggling bullpens, it makes it very difficult for teams like the Diamondbacks, who would like to upgrade their bullpen.
Several names have been bandied about as possibilities for Arizona. Among them, the Pirates' Jose Mesa and Tampa Bay's Danys Baez, but both seem unlikely.
First, Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield said he's not planning on being a seller this year and certainly not this early. As for Baez, he does have eight saves, but has blown six.
Given the demand for relief pitching, the price for any closer would be high, and Arizona is loathe to part with one of its top prospects. Fans that think they should, need only watch Wednesday night's game. The White Sox will start Jon Garland, who began his career in the Cubs organization. He was traded in 1998 when the Cubs, needing bullpen help, got Matt Karchner from the White Sox.
Karchner went on to go 3-1 with a 5.14 ERA for the Cubs that year and appeared in just 29 games over the next two seasons. Garland? He's 10-2 for the Sox this year.
Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. continues to work the phones, but that doesn't mean a deal is imminent or even likely.
"Trade talks are always ongoing," he said. "This is a normal part of what you do. You call other teams. They call you. There are various times of the year where it gets more intense, obviously around the trading deadline, but a normal part of the day-to-day routine is to talk to other clubs -- identifying their needs, identifying your needs to them."
Closer: Infielder Alex Cintron took batting practice before Tuesday's game and his ailing left wrist appears to be feeling better.
"Probably (Wednesday) for sure," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said when asked when Cintron would be available to play.
Same thing: Closer Brandon Lyon played catch for six minutes from a distance of 60 feet for the second straight day.
"I feel good," he said. "Everything went well. No problems."
Next step: Reliever Oscar Villarreal (rotator cuff strain) will throw off the mound for the first time since going on the disabled list April 11 on Wednesday.
The right-hander is expected to throw 10-12 pitches off the mound at the end of his throwing session.
"I don't feel any pain," Villarreal said. "I'm surprised, but I don't feel anything."
Still there: Outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. said he still feels some lingering discomfort in his lower back that shoots down his leg. Cruz missed nearly a month of the season with a lower back strain, but said he can play through his recent problems.
"I just kind of have to grind it out," he said. "Sometimes it gets fatigued."
Got my vote: Tony Clark has been outstanding in a pinch-hitting role this season, compiling a .478 mark off the bench.
They don't have a spot on the All-Star teams for pinch-hitters, but if they did, Melvin knows who it would go to.
"All I can tell you is he's had as big an impact on this team as anybody here," Melvin said.
Clark will likely stay in the designated hitter role during Interleague Play, with Chad Tracy remaining at first.
"It makes our lineup a lot deeper," Melvin said. "Being able to get he and Chad both in the lineup, we get a lot deeper. It seems like we have a chance to score in every inning."
Sign here: The Diamondbacks have signed four more players from last week's First-Year Player draft.
The club inked outfielders Gregory Thomas (15th round), and Norman Melendez (28); right-hander Kyle Wright (19); left-hander Aaron Gamboa (48) along with non-drafted right-hander Ryan Doherty.
Early honor: Last year's first pick, shortstop Stephen Drew, was named California League Player of the Week for June 6-12.
Drew hit .417 with 10 runs scored and eight RBIs in his first six games with Lancaster after finally signing with the club.
On deck: The Diamondbacks close out this three-game set with the White Sox on Wednesday night.
Russ Ortiz will get the starting nod for the Diamondbacks and the right-hander is hoping for better luck than he had last time out. In that start against the Royals, Ortiz left after seven innings with an 11-3 lead.
The bullpen, though, couldn't hold the lead and Ortiz wound up with a no-decision after Arizona won, 12-11, in 10 innings.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
With the number of teams that are still in their division or Wild Card races and the number of teams with struggling bullpens, it makes it very difficult for teams like the Diamondbacks, who would like to upgrade their bullpen.
Several names have been bandied about as possibilities for Arizona. Among them, the Pirates' Jose Mesa and Tampa Bay's Danys Baez, but both seem unlikely.
First, Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield said he's not planning on being a seller this year and certainly not this early. As for Baez, he does have eight saves, but has blown six.
Given the demand for relief pitching, the price for any closer would be high, and Arizona is loathe to part with one of its top prospects. Fans that think they should, need only watch Wednesday night's game. The White Sox will start Jon Garland, who began his career in the Cubs organization. He was traded in 1998 when the Cubs, needing bullpen help, got Matt Karchner from the White Sox.
Karchner went on to go 3-1 with a 5.14 ERA for the Cubs that year and appeared in just 29 games over the next two seasons. Garland? He's 10-2 for the Sox this year.
Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. continues to work the phones, but that doesn't mean a deal is imminent or even likely.
"Trade talks are always ongoing," he said. "This is a normal part of what you do. You call other teams. They call you. There are various times of the year where it gets more intense, obviously around the trading deadline, but a normal part of the day-to-day routine is to talk to other clubs -- identifying their needs, identifying your needs to them."
Closer: Infielder Alex Cintron took batting practice before Tuesday's game and his ailing left wrist appears to be feeling better.
"Probably (Wednesday) for sure," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said when asked when Cintron would be available to play.
Same thing: Closer Brandon Lyon played catch for six minutes from a distance of 60 feet for the second straight day.
"I feel good," he said. "Everything went well. No problems."
Next step: Reliever Oscar Villarreal (rotator cuff strain) will throw off the mound for the first time since going on the disabled list April 11 on Wednesday.
The right-hander is expected to throw 10-12 pitches off the mound at the end of his throwing session.
"I don't feel any pain," Villarreal said. "I'm surprised, but I don't feel anything."
Still there: Outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. said he still feels some lingering discomfort in his lower back that shoots down his leg. Cruz missed nearly a month of the season with a lower back strain, but said he can play through his recent problems.
"I just kind of have to grind it out," he said. "Sometimes it gets fatigued."
Got my vote: Tony Clark has been outstanding in a pinch-hitting role this season, compiling a .478 mark off the bench.
They don't have a spot on the All-Star teams for pinch-hitters, but if they did, Melvin knows who it would go to.
"All I can tell you is he's had as big an impact on this team as anybody here," Melvin said.
Clark will likely stay in the designated hitter role during Interleague Play, with Chad Tracy remaining at first.
"It makes our lineup a lot deeper," Melvin said. "Being able to get he and Chad both in the lineup, we get a lot deeper. It seems like we have a chance to score in every inning."
Sign here: The Diamondbacks have signed four more players from last week's First-Year Player draft.
The club inked outfielders Gregory Thomas (15th round), and Norman Melendez (28); right-hander Kyle Wright (19); left-hander Aaron Gamboa (48) along with non-drafted right-hander Ryan Doherty.
Early honor: Last year's first pick, shortstop Stephen Drew, was named California League Player of the Week for June 6-12.
Drew hit .417 with 10 runs scored and eight RBIs in his first six games with Lancaster after finally signing with the club.
On deck: The Diamondbacks close out this three-game set with the White Sox on Wednesday night.
Russ Ortiz will get the starting nod for the Diamondbacks and the right-hander is hoping for better luck than he had last time out. In that start against the Royals, Ortiz left after seven innings with an 11-3 lead.
The bullpen, though, couldn't hold the lead and Ortiz wound up with a no-decision after Arizona won, 12-11, in 10 innings.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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