Mailbag: Who will be the new coach?
10/31/2005
Who are the candidates for the opening on the coaching staff?-- Daniel A.
The candidates, as first reported on MLB.com, were former coach Dwayne Murphy, Minor League outfield coordinator Lee Tinsley, former Cubs Minor League instructor Vince Coleman and Triple-A Tucson manager Chip Hale. Tinsley won out and could be named first-base coach as soon as Monday. He was selected for a number of reasons, one of which is that the club likes to promote from within, and he also had the edge over Hale because he was an outfielder during his playing career and, in addition to being the first-base coach, the person who holds that position also works with the outfielders.
Do you think that Russ Ortiz will stay in the starting rotation or will he be a middle reliever? He was 5-11 as a starter. Also, do you think that his broken rib had anything to do with his pitching problems?-- Emmaleigh C., Roane Co., W.Va.
I think it's a safe bet that Ortiz will be in the starting rotation come Opening Day. He's owed $7 million next year and a total of $16 million in 2007 and 2008, so I think the club will be very careful in writing him off just yet. As for his broken rib, I'm sure that the two months he spent on the DL did not help his effectiveness, but he had struggled earlier in the year as well. I think his biggest problem last year was simply his command. He fell behind hitters way too often and walked too many batters. Whether he can rebound next year, I don't know, but you can count on the team giving him every opportunity to do so.
Is there a chance that the D-Backs will pick up Jeff Weaver or do a trade for a good pitcher like Kerry Wood?-- Jered, Apache Junction, Ariz.
How active the Diamondbacks are in terms of going after a top free agent pitcher or trading for one will depend on whether or not Javier Vazquez exercises his right to demand a trade. If he doesn't, I don't see the Diamondbacks going after a top-of-the-rotation starter. Keep in mind the free agent pitching market is a little thin this year and that means that the price for the few really good ones will be very high.
Royce Clayton was one of the three or four best players for the D-Backs last season. Alex Cintron, however, is the one who will bring the greatest rewards in a trade. Why is there hesitation in trading Cintron and signing Clayton to a two- or three-year deal? Also, why talk about trading Luis Gonzalez now, instead of after his 50-plus homer season when he was a hot property? Am I missing something here?-- Allen M.
I'm not sure that if you look at Clayton's numbers you could say he was one of the best three or four players the D-Backs had last year, but you are right when you say that Cintron could bring a good return on the trade market. I can tell you in two words why they don't want to sign Clayton long term: Stephen Drew. Drew has played well in the Arizona Fall League and some feel he could be ready for the big leagues on Opening Day. Certainly at this point it doesn't look like he will need another full year in the Minors, and if you signed Clayton to a three-year deal, where are you going to play Drew?
As for trading Gonzalez, the reason there has been talk about trading him is because his production has gone down and they have young outfielders coming up through the Minors for whom they would like to find a spot.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
Who are the candidates for the opening on the coaching staff?-- Daniel A.
The candidates, as first reported on MLB.com, were former coach Dwayne Murphy, Minor League outfield coordinator Lee Tinsley, former Cubs Minor League instructor Vince Coleman and Triple-A Tucson manager Chip Hale. Tinsley won out and could be named first-base coach as soon as Monday. He was selected for a number of reasons, one of which is that the club likes to promote from within, and he also had the edge over Hale because he was an outfielder during his playing career and, in addition to being the first-base coach, the person who holds that position also works with the outfielders.
Do you think that Russ Ortiz will stay in the starting rotation or will he be a middle reliever? He was 5-11 as a starter. Also, do you think that his broken rib had anything to do with his pitching problems?-- Emmaleigh C., Roane Co., W.Va.
I think it's a safe bet that Ortiz will be in the starting rotation come Opening Day. He's owed $7 million next year and a total of $16 million in 2007 and 2008, so I think the club will be very careful in writing him off just yet. As for his broken rib, I'm sure that the two months he spent on the DL did not help his effectiveness, but he had struggled earlier in the year as well. I think his biggest problem last year was simply his command. He fell behind hitters way too often and walked too many batters. Whether he can rebound next year, I don't know, but you can count on the team giving him every opportunity to do so.
Is there a chance that the D-Backs will pick up Jeff Weaver or do a trade for a good pitcher like Kerry Wood?-- Jered, Apache Junction, Ariz.
How active the Diamondbacks are in terms of going after a top free agent pitcher or trading for one will depend on whether or not Javier Vazquez exercises his right to demand a trade. If he doesn't, I don't see the Diamondbacks going after a top-of-the-rotation starter. Keep in mind the free agent pitching market is a little thin this year and that means that the price for the few really good ones will be very high.
Royce Clayton was one of the three or four best players for the D-Backs last season. Alex Cintron, however, is the one who will bring the greatest rewards in a trade. Why is there hesitation in trading Cintron and signing Clayton to a two- or three-year deal? Also, why talk about trading Luis Gonzalez now, instead of after his 50-plus homer season when he was a hot property? Am I missing something here?-- Allen M.
I'm not sure that if you look at Clayton's numbers you could say he was one of the best three or four players the D-Backs had last year, but you are right when you say that Cintron could bring a good return on the trade market. I can tell you in two words why they don't want to sign Clayton long term: Stephen Drew. Drew has played well in the Arizona Fall League and some feel he could be ready for the big leagues on Opening Day. Certainly at this point it doesn't look like he will need another full year in the Minors, and if you signed Clayton to a three-year deal, where are you going to play Drew?
As for trading Gonzalez, the reason there has been talk about trading him is because his production has gone down and they have young outfielders coming up through the Minors for whom they would like to find a spot.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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