Mailbag: Where will Tracy end up?
10/24/2005
Chad Tracy has played third base, first base, right field and left field. Which is he best at? -- Felix, Tucson, Ariz.
My personal opinion is that Tracy is best at first base. When he played third for the D-Backs in 2004, he made 25 errors, many of which were throwing errors. He admitted that, after he struggled some with his throwing, he developed a little case of the "yips." He has soft hands, and when the Diamondbacks moved him to first at the start of last year and he no longer had to make the throw across the diamond, he became a very dependable defender.
That's not to say that he couldn't work out his throwing issues if he moved back to third, but I think the best spot for him is at first. With the tremendous year he had at the plate last year, I'd stick him at first base and leave him alone.
Do you think the Diamondbacks are going to trade Luis Gonzalez and Troy Glaus to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez? -- Mary, Phoenix
I'd have to say it's unlikely, Mary. I know it's been said that Arizona would be attractive to Ramirez because his former agent, Jeff Moorad, is the D-Backs' general partner. With Ramirez having three more years left on a deal that averages around $17 million a year, that's a pretty big price tag for a guy who, though he's had a history of putting up big numbers, has also been a distraction at times when he's unhappy.
More than that, though, I don't see Gonzalez waiving his no-trade clause unless the team to which he's being traded agrees to pick up his option for 2007 at $10 million. That's a lot of money for a team to agree to pick up, so, again, I don't think it will be easy for the D-Backs to trade Gonzo this offseason.
You really think Craig Counsell can play shortstop? -- Javier, Surprise, Ariz.
I think he did a pretty decent job there in 2004 for the Brewers, and if the D-Backs don't think Stephen Drew is ready, and if they can't re-sign Royce Clayton for a year, I think Counsell could be plugged in there for a while, with Alex Cintron playing second.
Do the Diamondbacks have a chance to get Brian Cashman as their GM? -- Spencer, New York, N.Y.
It appears the Diamondbacks did ask the Yankees for permission to talk to Cashman, but it was denied. They also had interest in Yankees vice president Mark Newman, but were denied permission to speak to him as well. That pretty much puts Newman out of the running, because his contract runs through Dec. 31, 2006.
Cashman, on the other hand, is free to talk to other teams after his contract expires on Oct. 31. I don't think Cashman will wind up with Arizona, though. First, there's still a good chance he'll re-sign with the Yankees, and, second, he reportedly wants to stay on the East Coast.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
Chad Tracy has played third base, first base, right field and left field. Which is he best at? -- Felix, Tucson, Ariz.
My personal opinion is that Tracy is best at first base. When he played third for the D-Backs in 2004, he made 25 errors, many of which were throwing errors. He admitted that, after he struggled some with his throwing, he developed a little case of the "yips." He has soft hands, and when the Diamondbacks moved him to first at the start of last year and he no longer had to make the throw across the diamond, he became a very dependable defender.
That's not to say that he couldn't work out his throwing issues if he moved back to third, but I think the best spot for him is at first. With the tremendous year he had at the plate last year, I'd stick him at first base and leave him alone.
Do you think the Diamondbacks are going to trade Luis Gonzalez and Troy Glaus to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez? -- Mary, Phoenix
I'd have to say it's unlikely, Mary. I know it's been said that Arizona would be attractive to Ramirez because his former agent, Jeff Moorad, is the D-Backs' general partner. With Ramirez having three more years left on a deal that averages around $17 million a year, that's a pretty big price tag for a guy who, though he's had a history of putting up big numbers, has also been a distraction at times when he's unhappy.
More than that, though, I don't see Gonzalez waiving his no-trade clause unless the team to which he's being traded agrees to pick up his option for 2007 at $10 million. That's a lot of money for a team to agree to pick up, so, again, I don't think it will be easy for the D-Backs to trade Gonzo this offseason.
You really think Craig Counsell can play shortstop? -- Javier, Surprise, Ariz.
I think he did a pretty decent job there in 2004 for the Brewers, and if the D-Backs don't think Stephen Drew is ready, and if they can't re-sign Royce Clayton for a year, I think Counsell could be plugged in there for a while, with Alex Cintron playing second.
Do the Diamondbacks have a chance to get Brian Cashman as their GM? -- Spencer, New York, N.Y.
It appears the Diamondbacks did ask the Yankees for permission to talk to Cashman, but it was denied. They also had interest in Yankees vice president Mark Newman, but were denied permission to speak to him as well. That pretty much puts Newman out of the running, because his contract runs through Dec. 31, 2006.
Cashman, on the other hand, is free to talk to other teams after his contract expires on Oct. 31. I don't think Cashman will wind up with Arizona, though. First, there's still a good chance he'll re-sign with the Yankees, and, second, he reportedly wants to stay on the East Coast.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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