Hoping for strength in numbers
02/13/2006
PHOENIX -- Last year, it was the Diamondbacks bullpen that got the most scrutiny heading into Spring Training.
This year it's the starters' turn in the spotlight.
For the third straight year, Arizona will have a different starter on the mound for Opening Day. Once the territory of Randy Johnson, the honors went to Javier Vazquez last year, but when he was dealt to the White Sox, Brandon Webb got the nod.
"I'm ready to take the challenge on," said Webb. "I'm excited to get that opportunity to start on Opening Day."
There are few doubts about Webb's ability to succeed, even at the top of a staff. While not a dominating-type No. 1 starter, there are very few of them out there and the Diamondbacks count on Webb to give them only what he's always provided, a solid performance each time he's handed the ball.
Once you get past Webb, though, there are plenty of questions regarding the rest of the staff, with the biggest being Russ Ortiz.
Signed to a four-year contract prior to last season, Ortiz suffered through the worst year of his career when he went 5-11 with a 6.89 ERA. In the six years prior to 2005, the right-hander had at least 14 wins and 195 innings, but last year he was neither a big winner nor an innings-eater as he went on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
"When you have a long career, there are going to be down years," Melvin said. "He's not happy with the year he had. He expected more and we expected more. I absolutely think he'll be better this year."
Then there's Miguel Batista, a familiar face to Diamondbacks fans. The right-hander, who pitched for Arizona from 2001-2003, was acquired by the D-Backs in the trade that sent Troy Glaus to the Blue Jays. There's little doubt that Batista is an effective Major League pitcher, but he spent last season as Toronto's closer and will have to readjust to being a starter again.
Behind Batista is Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, acquired from the White Sox in the Vazquez deal. Hernandez, whom the D-Backs believe is 40 years old, was 9-9 with a 5.12 ERA for the White Sox last season and has had his share of injury problems.
"We've got him on a one-year contract and we need to be smart about how we use him," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said. "But we feel like when he's on the mound he can be one of the very best pitchers in baseball."
Of course the biggest question of all is who will fill the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Lefty Brad Halsey is a candidate, as are right-handers Claudio Vargas, Kevin Jarvis and Dustin Nippert.
While acknowledging the questions surrounding the rotation, Byrnes feels like the club has come up with an answer: options.
Halsey, Vargas, Jarvis and Nippert not only give the Diamondbacks candidates for the final rotation spot, they also provide insurance should one of the other four starters get hurt or prove to be ineffective.
"You always wind up needing more than five starters," manager Bob Melvin said. "When you think of a rotation, you can't just look at it as five guys."
Beyond the four front-runners for the fifth spot, the club thinks it has additional options in Edgar and Enrique Gonzalez, as well as Tony Pena. All three are young pitchers for whom the club has high hopes in the future.
"I think there's strength in numbers," Byrnes said. "And I think that we've covered ourselves with the rotation just by virtue of the fact that there's strength in numbers."
More than that, though, Byrnes said he's confident that Ortiz can bounce back and have a good year and that they will get production out of Hernandez and that Nippert will continue to develop.
"I think there are a lot of guys that we can allow ourselves to be optimistic about," he said.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
PHOENIX -- Last year, it was the Diamondbacks bullpen that got the most scrutiny heading into Spring Training.
This year it's the starters' turn in the spotlight.
For the third straight year, Arizona will have a different starter on the mound for Opening Day. Once the territory of Randy Johnson, the honors went to Javier Vazquez last year, but when he was dealt to the White Sox, Brandon Webb got the nod.
"I'm ready to take the challenge on," said Webb. "I'm excited to get that opportunity to start on Opening Day."
There are few doubts about Webb's ability to succeed, even at the top of a staff. While not a dominating-type No. 1 starter, there are very few of them out there and the Diamondbacks count on Webb to give them only what he's always provided, a solid performance each time he's handed the ball.
Once you get past Webb, though, there are plenty of questions regarding the rest of the staff, with the biggest being Russ Ortiz.
Signed to a four-year contract prior to last season, Ortiz suffered through the worst year of his career when he went 5-11 with a 6.89 ERA. In the six years prior to 2005, the right-hander had at least 14 wins and 195 innings, but last year he was neither a big winner nor an innings-eater as he went on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
"When you have a long career, there are going to be down years," Melvin said. "He's not happy with the year he had. He expected more and we expected more. I absolutely think he'll be better this year."
Then there's Miguel Batista, a familiar face to Diamondbacks fans. The right-hander, who pitched for Arizona from 2001-2003, was acquired by the D-Backs in the trade that sent Troy Glaus to the Blue Jays. There's little doubt that Batista is an effective Major League pitcher, but he spent last season as Toronto's closer and will have to readjust to being a starter again.
Behind Batista is Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, acquired from the White Sox in the Vazquez deal. Hernandez, whom the D-Backs believe is 40 years old, was 9-9 with a 5.12 ERA for the White Sox last season and has had his share of injury problems.
"We've got him on a one-year contract and we need to be smart about how we use him," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said. "But we feel like when he's on the mound he can be one of the very best pitchers in baseball."
Of course the biggest question of all is who will fill the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Lefty Brad Halsey is a candidate, as are right-handers Claudio Vargas, Kevin Jarvis and Dustin Nippert.
While acknowledging the questions surrounding the rotation, Byrnes feels like the club has come up with an answer: options.
Halsey, Vargas, Jarvis and Nippert not only give the Diamondbacks candidates for the final rotation spot, they also provide insurance should one of the other four starters get hurt or prove to be ineffective.
"You always wind up needing more than five starters," manager Bob Melvin said. "When you think of a rotation, you can't just look at it as five guys."
Beyond the four front-runners for the fifth spot, the club thinks it has additional options in Edgar and Enrique Gonzalez, as well as Tony Pena. All three are young pitchers for whom the club has high hopes in the future.
"I think there's strength in numbers," Byrnes said. "And I think that we've covered ourselves with the rotation just by virtue of the fact that there's strength in numbers."
More than that, though, Byrnes said he's confident that Ortiz can bounce back and have a good year and that they will get production out of Hernandez and that Nippert will continue to develop.
"I think there are a lot of guys that we can allow ourselves to be optimistic about," he said.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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