Mailbag: What is Melvin's future?

01/09/2006
PHOENIX -- I wanted to start off the first mailbag column of 2006 with Happy New Year wishes to everyone. Thanks for all the great questions this week, let's keep them coming as the Hot Stove winds down and Spring Training inches closer.
What is manager Bob Melvin's status? I read that he's in the last year of his contract and the Diamondbacks are building toward 2007. What does that mean for him? I thought he did a good job last year. -- Brad R., Phoenix, Ariz.
The D-Backs aren't entirely building toward 2007 as I think they feel they are going to be competitive in 2006, but when making decisions this offseason, they did it with the idea of building for long-term sustained success rather than quick fix solutions. Melvin is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed in November 2004. The contract also includes two club options, which, as of yet, have not been picked up. It would seem only fair that they exercise at least one of his options prior to the season. That would show that he is included in the organization's plan for long-term success and quiet speculation about his job status before it can begin.
I can tell you that you are not the only one to ask about Melvin's future. He is an excellent communicator and is universally well respected in the clubhouse. When some questioned the job he did last year, the players supported him both on and off the record to a man, and that is pretty rare. I've spoken with a number of veterans this offseason that would like to see Melvin have a little more job security going forward.
Why isn't Claudio Vargas going to be in the rotation? Did he not show some promise last year?-- Brandon S., Tempe, Ariz.
Vargas did show some promise last year and he may very well end up the No. 5 starter come Opening Day. As for why he doesn't have a spot locked up, I think you need to take a look at the way he finished the season. After an impressive run in July and early August, Vargas hit a rough patch. In his final seven starts, he allowed 32 runs on 57 hits. It could be that he was tired from the innings he pitched, or it could be that he wasn't as good as his earlier streak suggested.
Why haven't the D-Backs held a press conference to introduce any of their new acquisitions? They've made some great moves for the future. It'd be nice to be introduced to Johnny Estrada, Damion Easley, El Duque, Orlando Hudsdon, Luis Vizcaino, and Chris Young, not to mention re-introducing Miguel Batista. I see press conferences for other teams introducing just about everybody, but none for the Snakes.-- Rob S., Mesa, Ariz.
Rob, I took your question to Derrick Hall, the D-Backs senior vice president of communications. He informed me that there were scheduling problems in terms of getting the players the Valley at the times the moves happened, but that there will be an introductory press conference for Estrada later this month.
Am I wrong for thinking that the reason Brad Halsey had an up-and-down year in '05 is because every time he got into the fifth inning, Melvin broke up his rhythm by calling his pitches for him? Because that is exactly what I saw every time.-- Joe C., Phoenix, Ariz.
I heard it was mentioned during a broadcast that Melvin called some pitches for Halsey, but that is not true. Melvin leaves the pitch-calling to his catchers, though he will call for pitchouts, slide steps or throws over to first. That's what the D-Backs' catchers are looking for when you see them looking toward the dugout with runners on base.
In your recent article on the Diamondbacks' pitching, you did not mention Kevin Jarvis, who was signed as a free agent this winter. I know that Jarvis has had some good years in the Majors and led the Pacific Coast League in ERA last year. What kind of chance do you think he has of making the roster and becoming the fifth starter?-- Len, Phoenix, Ariz.
I think Jarvis does have a chance to win the fifth spot; it's really a long shot, though, and I didn't mention him in the article specifically because of that. With all the candidates the D-Backs have for the No. 5 spot, finding innings for them all this spring will be a challenge. The likeliest scenario for Jarivs, if he does have a strong spring, would be for him to start the season at Triple-A Tucson and earn a callup when another starter gets injured or is ineffective. That said, you can't completely rule out his chances of making the team out of Spring Training.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Around the Horn: Bullpen

01/11/2006
There's really no getting around the fact that the Diamondbacks' bullpen struggled mightily in 2005.
The relievers ranked last in the National League with a 5.50 ERA, and that number would have been higher if not for a late-season turnaround.
But the Diamondbacks have reason to believe they'll get a different result in 2006 with a bullpen that has only a few different names.
The first reason for their confidence is 26-year-old closer Jose Valverde. The hard-throwing right-hander established himself in the role last season when he converted his final 13 save opportunities.
It was reminiscent of his rookie year in 2003 when he saved 10 games, and it was a far cry from his 2004 performance, when his command was poor and he allowed a whopping seven homers in 29 2/3 innings. The reason for the difference appeared to be health. Valverde missed significant time in 2004 with a partial tear in his labrum, which required surgery.
While the closer is set, who sets him up is less so.
Last September, Tim Worrell stepped nicely into that role, but he's no longer in the mix, having signed a two-year contract with the Giants.
"Having Tim fill the eighth [inning], I think it was huge for us," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "It made everybody better. The psychological effect it has on your team, knowing once you have a lead going into the seventh, you feel like you really have a chance to close it out."
Worrell's departure means the Diamondbacks will have to find a reliable setup man out of a group that includes Brandon Lyon, Brandon Medders, Jason Grimsley and Luis Vizcaino.
"We've got some options down there," Melvin said. "We'll have to see how things play out."
Lyon won the closer's job with an outstanding spring last year and was tied for the Major League lead in saves with 13 before injuring his elbow in mid-May. The injury put him on the disabled list for two months, and after he returned, he was unable to regain his previous form.
"Spring Training is going to be important for him in that he needs to get through it healthy and not have concerns about his elbow," Melvin said. "If that happens, then he's certainly a guy that will pitch well."
Medders established himself as big-league ready during three stints with Arizona last season. Less than a year after surgery to repair a torn labrum, the 25-year-old was one of the club's most consistent relievers. He compiled a 4-1 record and 1.78 ERA in 27 games and impressed the staff with his fearlessness in attacking hitters.
Grimsley, 38, had Tommy John surgery in 2004, and he struggled when he returned last year until putting together an impressive September. A sinkerballer who gets a lot of ground-ball outs, Grimsley is well-suited to Chase Field, where fly balls tend to carry. Arizona hopes he can step into Worrell's old role, and he may get the first shot at it. But if Grimsley is unsuccessful, the D-Backs will go in another direction.
That other direction could include Vizcaino, who was acquired by the Diamondbacks in the trade that sent Javier Vazquez to the White Sox. The right-hander is a workhorse, having appeared in 65 games for Chicago in 2005. Vizcaino went 6-5 with a 3.73 ERA in those games, throwing more than one inning in 33 of them. And since the start of the 2002 season, his 280 appearances are the sixth most in the big leagues.
Greg Aquino, Brian Bruney and Mike Koplove, who all struggled at times in 2005, also could make a strong push for a roster spot with good springs. Aquino entered Spring Training last year as the club's closer, but an arm injury during camp set him back, and he seemed to lose his confidence once he did return.
The Diamondbacks are still looking for a left-handed specialist, something they struggled with last year until finally getting some production out of Buddy Groom, who was not re-signed.
Veteran Terry Mulholland looks like the favorite at this point. He has reportedly signed a Minor League contract, though the team has yet to make an announcement. Randy Choate and Doug Slaton are other possible in-house lefty candidates.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs sign Mulholland to Minor League deal

01/12/2006
PHOENIX, AZ -- The Arizona Diamondbacks today announced they have signed free agent pitcher Terry Mulholland to a minor league contract. Consistent with team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Mulholland, 42, spent 2005 pitching for the Minnesota Twins, going 0-2 with a 4.27 ERA in 49 relief outings. He limited lefthanded batters to a .202 batting average last year.
Over his big-league career, which spans parts of 19 seasons, Mulholland owns a 124-142 record and 4.40 ERA in 680 lifetime appearances, including 332 starts. Among active pitchers, he is tied for 12th in innings pitched, 19th in games, tied for 23rd in wins and 29th in strikeouts.
Drafted by the San Francisco in the first round of the 1984 draft, Mulholland made his Major League debut two years later. He has also pitched at the big-league level for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. His career highlights also include throwing a no-hitter for Philadelphia in 1990 and selection to the National League All-Team in 1993.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs ink Webb to extension

01/13/2006
PHOENIX -- Earlier this month, Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said Brandon Webb would be the club's Opening Day starter.
On Friday it became clear that Webb will also a big part of the Diamondbacks' future plans as they signed him to a four-year contract extension that is worth a guaranteed $19.5 million.
The right-hander was entering the final year of a three-year deal he signed prior to Spring Training in 2004. Arizona held an option for the 2007 season, but the new contract supersedes that and covers the 2007 through 2009 seasons, with the D-Backs holding an option for 2010.
Webb will be receive $2.5 million this year, $4.5 million in 2007, $5.5 million in 2008, $6.5 million in 2009 and the club holds an $8.5 million option for 2010. If Arizona doesn't exercise the option, Webb will receive a $500,000 buyout.
"It's a lot of money, it's a lot of responsibility," D-Backs general partner Jeff Moorad said. "It's certainly a lot of responsibility to lead our staff, but we feel Brandon Webb is not only up to the task, but that he's earned the right to be here today in the capacity he's in."
Webb was the Diamondbacks' most consistent starter in 2005, going 14-12 with a 3.54 ERA in 33 starts. The 26-year-old led the staff in wins, innings (229) and ERA.
That came on the heels of a 2004 season in which he led the NL with 16 losses despite a 3.59 ERA. The biggest difference was not only an improved defense behind the sinkerball specialist, but his improved control. Webb went from a league-leading 119 free passes in '04 to just 59 last year.
In addition, he improved his fielding, held runners better and was able to bunt runners over when needed, which allowed him to stay in some games he would have had to leave a year earlier.
"If anybody deserves this it's him," Melvin said. "He's really worked himself into where he'll be pitching Opening Day for us. He'll be our No. 1 starter and obviously that's an honor that he's not going to take lightly."
"I'm ready to take the challenge on," said Webb. "I'm excited to get that opportunity to start on Opening Day."
"You do realize Opening Day is in Colorado right?" Melvin said to him with a smile, obviously referring to the fact that Coors Field is not the friendliest place for pitchers, though Webb has a respectable 4.22 ERA in his career there.
"I go out there and pitch my game and try to get ground balls," Webb said. "I don't really think too much into it. Obviously, I don't want the pressure of thinking I'm the No. 1. I do recognize it, but thinking about it just adds pressure to me that I don't need. I think I'm up to the challenge."
Webb was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the eighth round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft and reached the Majors for the first time in 2003. He went 10-9 with a 2.84 ERA and finished third in the Rookie of the Year Award balloting behind Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Milwaukee's Scott Podsednik.
After tiring down the stretch in 2003 and 2004, Webb dedicated himself to an offseason conditioning program that he borrowed from former teammate Curt Schilling.
"It starts off with 100 throws a day, which is a lot more than I was used to," Webb said. "I did that last year and I think that helped me toward the end of the year, [to] still feel strong. I'm doing the exact same thing this year."
And he hopes for similar results to last year, when he appeared not only strong physically, but mentally as the season came to a close. Webb displayed a confidence that he hadn't shown previously as he went 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA in his final five starts.
"I felt like every time I went out I was going to win the ballgame," he said. "Having that presence on the mound definitely helps."
D-Backs GM Josh Byrnes was part of a Cleveland front office that pioneered the concept of locking up young players for the long term.
The positives for the club is that it can usually can get the player at a lower dollar value, while the player gets the security that comes with a multiyear contract. Webb's deal essentially buys out three years of arbitration and possibly his first year of free agency if the team picks up the 2010 option.
If he continued to pitch as he had, Webb probably could have made more money through the arbitration and free agent processes, but for him, being in Arizona outweighed all of that. And well, $19.5 million is still a lot of money.
"I really like Arizona and when I go to different cities and look around I'm like, 'I don't know that I'd want to play here.' " he said. "The people here treat us good. My family likes it here. We like the whole coaching staff, the front office people are wonderful and the city is great. It's big enough, but it's not too big. I love the ballpark. I think it's a mixture of those things."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs sign Vizcaino, Estrada

01/14/2006
PHOENIX -- And then there were four.
The Diamondbacks on Friday avoided salary arbitration with pitcher Luis Vizcaino when the two sides agreed on a one-year, $1,775,000 deal.
A baseball source also said that Arizona reached an agreement with catcher Johnny Estrada on a one-year, $2 million contract, though the Diamondbacks declined to comment.
The signings leave the Diamondbacks with second baseman Orlando Hudson, infielder Alex Cintron, and pitchers Claudio Vargas and Brandon Lyon still eligible for salary arbitration.
Tuesday is the day that teams and players exchange salary arbitration figures, and Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said that it acts almost as a deadline for the two sides to reach an agreement.
"I think more than half will get knocked out between now and Tuesday," Byrnes said referring to all team's cases, not the D-Backs specifically.
Estrada came to the Diamondbacks during the Winter Meetings in a deal that saw Oscar Villarreal and Lance Cormier go to the Braves.
Estrada was limited to 105 games last season after being involved in a collision at home plate with the Angels' Darin Erstad on June 6. His best year came in 2004 when he hit .314 with 36 doubles, nine homers and 76 RBIs, and appeared in the All-Star Game.
Vizcaino was acquired by the Diamondbacks from the White Sox in the trade that sent Javier Vazquez to Chicago. The right-hander appeared in 65 games last year for the Sox, going 6-5 with a 3.73 ERA in 70 innings. In 33 of his 65 games, he threw more than one inning, and his 289 appearances since the start of the 2002 season are the sixth-most in the big leagues during that period.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Mailbag: Is Cintron on the move?

01/16/2006
I heard rumors that Orlando Hernandez and Alex Cintron are being mentioned in trade rumors involving a starting pitcher. Is this true? If yes, who is the pitcher in return?-- Jose Y., Tucson, Ariz.
I've seen that rumor as well, Jose, and I don't know whether they would be able to pull that off or not. I will tell you that it would not surprise me if Alex were dealt soon -- probably for a left-handed specialist reliever. The Diamondbacks did sign lefty Terry Mulholland to a Minor League contract last week, but he is more of a long-man out of the bullpen rather than a lefty specialist.
With the signing of a quality second baseman, the proposed move of popular Craig Counsell to short and Chad Tracy returning to third, where does that leave Cintron? Will he be dealt for a pitcher? How could he be showcased to build his trade value?-- Ed C., Paso Robles, Calif.
As I said above, I think the club would like to deal Cintron for a left-handed specialist. As for building his trade value, I think after the amount of time he's had in the big leagues, other teams have a very good feel for what kind of player he is and at this point, there's no real way to build his trade value.
With all the talk about the starting rotation, I have yet to hear anyone mention Edgar Gonzalez. He seems to be strong every year in Tucson. Will he ever get a shot with the Diamondbacks?-- Chris W., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Chris, I actually did mention Gonzalez in a recdent winter ball update. Once again, he had a very good year in the Mexican winter league. If he wants to win a job in the big leagues, he will need to carry that performance over into Spring Training. Gonzalez struggled when he got a prolonged look in 2004, but the club does still have hopes for him. I think his chances of winning the No. 5 spot in the rotation out of Spring Training are slim, but a strong spring would certainly put him in a good position should the Diamondbacks need to call up a pitcher at some point.
With all this talk about pitching lately and of the No. 5 spot in the rotation, perhaps you can explain to me why the D-Backs seem to be devoid of any left-handed pitching?-- John L., Flagstaff, Ariz.
They do have a couple of left-handers who will be competing for the No. 5 spot in the rotation in Brad Halsey and Michael Gosling, so they are not devoid of potential lefties in the rotation. You are right if you are referring to a lefty specialist for the bullpen, but that might get rectified via trade.
Do the Diamondbacks have any interest in signing Mike Piazza?
-- Ron R., Lockport, N.Y.
Ron, I don't see a fit there. The Diamondbacks have Johnny Estrada as their starting catcher with Chris Snyder and Koyie Hill as backups not to mention Miguel Montero on the way. And the D-Backs don't have a need for a first baseman so I think Piazza will wind up somewhere else.
I thought Matt Williams was a Diamondbacks coach. I don't see him on the coach's roster. Is Matt still around?-- Steve H., Sparks. Nev.
Williams is still very much around. He's not listed on the coaches roster because he is not technically a coach, but rather a Spring Training instructor. Though he does put a uniform on occasionally when the team is at home to work with them before games. Williams will continue to do that this year as well as his other television duties.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs improved after busy offseason

01/01/2006
PHOENIX -- As the New Year begins, the Diamondbacks are no longer a work in progress.
Most of general manager Josh Byrnes' heavy lifting has been done with the trade of Troy Glaus to the Blue Jays for Miguel Batista and Orlando Hudson, as well as the deal that sent Javier Vazquez to the White Sox for Orlando Hernandez, Luis Vizcaino and young center fielder Chris Young.
Byrnes also accomplished another big offseason goal at the Winter Meetings in Dallas when he bolstered the club's catching situation by acquiring backstop Johnny Estrada from the Braves for relievers Oscar Villarreal and Lance Cormier.
There were also the smaller moves, such as the signing of veterans Jason Grimsley and Damion Easley.
But Byrnes, who came over after serving as assistant general manager for the Red Sox, has already put his stamp on the team.
After dealing Glaus and signing Eric Byrnes as a free agent, if the season started today, Byrnes would be in center, Shawn Green would be back in right with Chad Tracy at third and Conor Jackson at first.
The domino effect of those moves should be improved defense in both the infield and outfield, with Green returning to his natural position in right field and Gold Glover Hudson taking over at second base.
Following the signing of gritty 29-year-old outfielder Byrnes, who is no relation, on Dec. 30, the D-Backs' general manager said the team is likely done with all but minor roster tinkering.
"I don't think much is going to happen in the next few days," Byrnes said. "I really don't anticipate any large changes to our roster from here on out. But you never know."
Offseason report card: Most of the first part of Byrnes' tenure as GM was spent working on a trade for Vazquez. With that out of the way, he turned his attention to fixing the logjam at the corner infield and outfield positions, which he accomplished after Christmas with the Glaus deal and the Byrnes signing. 5 -- Too early to tell.
Arrivals: C Johnny Estrada (trade), RHP Orlando Hernandez (trade), RHP Luis Vizcaino (trade), OF Chris Young (trade), Jason Grimsley (free agent), IF Damion Easley (free agent), 2B Orlando Hudson (trade), RHP Miguel Batista (trade) and OF Eric Byrnes (free agent).
Departures: RHP Oscar Villarreal, RHP Lance Cormier, RHP Javier Vazquez, RHP Tim Worrell, LHP Shawn Estes, LHP Buddy Groom, SS Royce Clayton, OF Quinton McCracken, C Kelly Stinnett and 3B Troy Glaus.
The road ahead: The D-Backs have to figure out a solution to the logjam at the corner infield and outfield positions. Finding a center fielder/leadoff hitter goes hand in hand with that. In addition with the departure of Vazquez and Estes, the D-Backs must do something to help fortify the starting rotation.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Webb ready to ascend to No. 1 spot

01/04/2006
PHOENIX -- For years -- 1999 through 2004, to be exact -- you could always count on one thing when it came to the Diamondbacks starting rotation: Randy Johnson would get the ball on Opening Day.
That changed last year when Javier Vazquez did the honors, and since the right-hander was dealt to the White Sox last month, Arizona will have its third Opening Day starter in as many years in 2006. It appears the responsibility will fall to Brandon Webb.
"Certainly as it stands right now, Webby looks like our Opening Day guy," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said.
Webb started 2005 as the Diamondbacks' No. 3 starter, but in all other respects was the club's ace as he went 14-12 with a 3.54 ERA. The right-hander relies on a heavy sinking fastball, which results in ground balls. Lots of them. He led the Majors with a ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio of 4.34, and the improved infield defense behind him made the plays, unlike 2004.
Webb also cut his league-leading walks total from 2004 in half as he led the staff in wins, innings pitched (229) and ERA.
"I'd have no trouble pitching him out of the No. 1 hole," Melvin said.
While Webb may be the Opening Day starter, the pitcher the Diamondbacks are counting on as much, if not more, is Russ Ortiz, from whom Arizona is hoping for a bounceback year.
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 or 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."
The Diamondbacks acquired a pair of starters in trades this offseason with Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez coming over in the deal that sent Vazquez to the White Sox and Miguel Batista returning to the desert from Toronto in the Troy Glaus trade.
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."
With Jose Valverde set as the closer, Arizona plans to use Batista as a starter despite the fact that he saved 31 games for the Blue Jays last year. His best season in Arizona came in 2001, when he was 11-8 with a 3.36 ERA for the World Series champs.
Batista is ideally suited to pitching in Chase Field, which rewards ground-ball pitchers.
The fifth spot will be up for grabs in Spring Training with Brad Halsey, Claudio Vargas, Michael Gosling and Dustin Nippert among the contenders. Halsey won the fifth spot last year in a spring battle with Gosling and had an up-and-down season.
"We need to see Halsey pitch like he did in May and July," said Melvin. "He's a guy that throughout his Minor League career always found a way to win."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

E. Gonzalez impressive this winter

01/06/2006
PHOENIX -- Edgar Gonzalez is a long shot to make the Diamondbacks rotation in 2006, but if the right-hander is able to carry over his winter ball performance to Spring Training, he could certainly make things interesting.
Heading into a big start on Friday for Hermosillo in the Mexican Winter League, Gonzalez was 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA in seven starts.
"Edgar is being Edgar," said Mike Rizzo, the D-Backs VP of scouting operations. "With all the big-league guys he's faced down there, he's pitched very well."
Gonzalez's stuff has never been questioned as he had success at each level of Arizona's system. In his third year at Triple-A Tucson, he was 11-6 with a 4.37 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
Pitching in the big leagues, though, has been a different story for the 22-year-old.
When injuries plagued the Arizona rotation in 2003, Gonzalez became the youngest pitcher to win a game in the Majors in six seasons. He wound up going 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in nine games, two of them starts. But in 2004, he struggled mightily, going 0-9 with a 9.32 ERA in 10 starts.
What hurt him even more, though, was the perception by the coaching staff that he didn't prepare well for his starts.
"We hope he really takes the Winter League success into Spring Training," Rizzo said. "It didn't click for him [in 2004], but he put up some good numbers at Triple-A last year. We still like him."
Red hot: Catcher Miguel Montero continued his impressive winter by hitting .284 with 10 doubles, six homers and 22 RBIs for Occidente in the Venezuela Winter League.
The 22-year-old began the offseason by hitting .421 with two homers and nine RBIs in six games in the Arizona Fall League.
Montero is expected to start off the 2006 season with Double-A Tennessee, and he could be in the big leagues as soon as 2007.
Adding value: Infielder Alex Cintron, who has been the subject of trade rumors since the D-Backs signed veteran Damion Easley and traded for Orlando Hudson, is once again having an outstanding Winter League season.
Through 25 games for Caguas of the Puerto Rican Winter League, Cintron was hitting .322 with eight doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs.
In 2003 and 2005, Cintron used strong winter performances as a springboard for Spring Training as he came into camp ahead of other hitters.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs agree with top pick Upton

01/06/2006
PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks have reached an agreement with Justin Upton, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's First-Year Player Draft, the club confirmed on Friday.
According to a source, Upton will receive a package worth $6.1 million, the largest ever for a drafted player who signed a Minor League contract. Upton's signing was first reported by USA Today.
Though a determination will not be made until after Spring Training, Upton figures to start the season with South Bend, the lower level of Arizona's two Class A affiliates.
Despite having selected shortstop Stephen Drew with their first pick the year before, the Diamondbacks chose Upton, 17, then a senior at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va., over a trio of college pitchers -- Mike Pelfrey, Luke Hochevar and Craig Hansen -- because they felt he was the best player available.
"We feel Justin is a potential impact player in the Major Leagues in the future," Arizona VP of scouting Mike Rizzo said last summer. "He was the top guy on our board. The college pitching was something that had some allure to us, but it was just too tough to pass up this player."
Among high schoolers, Baseball America ranked Upton as the best athlete, best five-tool player, best pure hitter, fastest baserunner, best defensive player and closest to the Majors. He received the publication's High School Player of the Year Award at the Winter Meetings in December.
"I've just seen this kid play so many times," Rizzo said previously. "I've got so much background on him and he's excelled at every level he's been at. He's exceeded all age groups and timeframes and everything else and he was the guy I really focused in on."
Baseball talent runs in the Upton family as his brother, B.J., also a shortstop, was selected by the Devil Rays with the second overall pick in the 2003 draft and is with their Triple-A Durham affiliate.
The Diamondbacks did not expect to have a problem signing Upton, but as negotiations began it quickly became apparent that the two sides were far apart.
Upton had originally planned to attend classes at Louisburg (N.C.) college last fall, but he elected not to on Aug. 30, which kept the negotiations alive. Once he had attended a class, the D-Backs would not have been able to negotiate with him until a week before the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.
The Diamondbacks are no stranger to negotiating with draft picks, as they did not ink Drew until just minutes before a May 30 deadline last year.
A right-handed hitter, Upton has shown good patience at the plate and has outstanding bat speed. He's able to drive the ball to all fields and has good plate coverage and extension.
Once on base, Upton is a threat to steal. He ran a 6.23 in a 60-yard dash at the Perfect Game Showcase, at the time the fastest ever recorded there. Florida native Derrick Robinson ran a 6.19 this past June.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Diamondbacks lock up Upton

01/09/2006
PHOENIX -- Justin Upton may have spent part of Monday playing golf, but the 18-year-old made it clear later in the day that he's ready to get to work.
Picked No. 1 overall in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Upton on Monday signed a $6.1 million contract with the Diamondbacks, the largest deal ever given to a player not signing a Major League contract.
"You've got a real workaholic here," Upton's agent Larry Reynolds said. "You don't just have a great talent, you've got a guy that's really, really a gamer. The first thing he said to his parents when he signed was, 'Can I go to [Spring Training] early?'"
Upton won't be going to Spring Training early, but as part of his deal he will be going to Major League camp as a non-roster invitee. That's heady stuff for a player less than a year removed from high school, but if anyone is up for the challenge it's Upton, whose older brother B.J. is a top prospect with the Devil Rays.
"I'm going to try to pick a few brains and see what I need to do for myself," Upton said of his first spring camp. "I have to fine-tune all my tools. Right now I think they're all at the same level. I may be a little better hitter than a fielder, but I have to fine-tune them all, so I'm looking forward to getting to Spring Training and doing that."
By virtue of a 51-111 record in 2004, the Diamondbacks owned the first overall pick in last year's draft. Despite having selected shortstop Stephen Drew with their first pick the year before, the Diamondbacks chose Upton, then a senior at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va., over a trio of college pitchers Mike Pelfrey, Luke Hochevar and Craig Hansen, because they felt he was the best player available.
"You've got a guy with outstanding physical attributes," said Mike Rizzo, the D-Backs VP of scouting operations. "You couple that with a great baseball acumen, a very grounded family background and a blue-collar workmanship-like makeup, it's an extraordinary toolbox to be working from."
Not long after the draft, it became apparent that the negotiations were not going to move quickly. Upton nearly attended classes last fall at Louisburg (N.C.) College, which would have meant the Diamondbacks' window to sign him would have been reduced to a small window prior to the 2006 draft, but decided on Aug. 30 to hold off.
"We decided to wait it out, because we were close to what we wanted to do and we could give it some more time," Upton said.
While negotiations dragged on, Upton made good use of his time working with a pair of Hall of Famers. He worked on defense with Ozzie Smith, one of the finest defensive shortstops of all time, and received hitting instruction from Tony Gwynn, the eight-time batting champion.
Then in December, Upton went through workouts with Twins center fielder Torii Hunter.
Negotiations heated up last week when general manager Josh Byrnes flew with his assistant Peter Woodfork and manager of Minor League operations A.J. Hinch to Virginia to meet with Reynolds and the Upton family. The framework of a deal was struck late last week.
"It's been a long road getting here to actually be signed by the Diamondbacks," Upton said. "But I'm definitely honored. I've been watching the games over the summer and from what I can see we've got some great fans here in Phoenix. I've been driving around the last two days in Phoenix and it looks like it's a good city. I'm looking forward to getting here and receiving the support that the city gives to the players. Hopefully I can make an impact on this team."
The Diamondbacks will make a final decision after Spring Training, but it appears Upton will start the year with Class A South Bend, the lower of the club's two Class A teams.
While there may be some question what level he will play at, the club left little doubt that Upton will be developed as a shortstop. This despite Drew being nearly Major League ready.
"If we get to that problem," Byrnes said of having to choose between whether Upton or Drew will play short in the big leagues, "we'll figure out a way to solve it. But until we do, we'll let him develop at shortstop and cross that bridge when we get to it."
Said Upton, "I played shortstop all my life and that's the position I want to play. ... I'll go to camp and I'll work as hard as I can at my position, and if a change comes, then a change comes."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs re-sign Vargas, four others

01/18/2006
TUCSON -- The Diamondbacks announced on Tuesday that they had avoided salary arbitration with right-handers Claudio Vargas and Brandon Lyon, catcher Johnny Estrada and infielders Orlando Hudson and Alex Cintron, signing each to a one-year contract.
Lyon, who began last year as the team's closer and saved 13 games before suffering an elbow injury that kept him on the shelf from May 13 to Aug. 12, signed a deal worth $830,000.
The D-Backs claimed Vargas off waivers from Washington in early June last year, and for an 11-game stretch from June 21 to Aug. 18, he was the club's best pitcher as he went 7-2 with a 2.82 ERA.
Overall, Vargas was 9-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 21 games (19 starts) for Arizona.
On Dec. 7, the Diamondbacks acquired Estrada, who hit .261 with the Braves last season, in a trade that sent relievers Oscar Villarreal and Lance Cormier to Atlanta.
Hudson, who was acquired from the Blue Jays in the Troy Glaus trade, will receive $2.3 million this year. The Gold Glove winner hit .271 for Toronto last season.
Cintron, who has been the subject of trade rumors, will make $1.6 million. Speculation has been that the switch-hitter could be dealt for a left-handed specialist to bolster the Arizona bullpen.
In his third full season, Cintron hit .273 in 122 games with the Diamondbacks last year.
In other Diamondbacks news, infielder Craig Counsell and outfielder Luis Gonzalez were named to Team USA's provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic.
Pitcher Brandon Webb was asked by manager Buck Martinez to be part of Team USA's pitching staff, but after much thought, the offer was declined. Webb, who recently signed a contract extension that could keep him in Arizona through 2010, cited the fact that his wife Alicia is expecting the couple's first child in March.
In addition, with the right-hander already named the club's Opening Day starter, he wanted to make sure he was in camp from the entire time.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Fantasy Camp Day 1 a real treat

01/16/2006
TUCSON -- Just about everyone arrived here last night by bus from Phoenix and we spent time getting to know each other at a mixer in the hotel ballroom.
It's a really diverse group. Young and old. Tall and short. In shape and well, not so much. But it was clear from listening to each person say why he decided to attend the camp that there was one thing they had in common, and that's a love for baseball.
I hope over the next few days that I'll be able to share some of their stories -- because some of them are really amazing -- and give those of you who are not here a sense of what it's like.
I had dinner with a bunch of the coaches after the mixer and it's interesting to see how happy they are to be here. I mean, when you think about it, these guys are at or near the top of their profession. Most have some big league playing experience and they all have coached players with far more talent than us campers.
"This is fun," D-Backs third base coach Carlos Tosca said. "You hear some of those stories earlier? These people love baseball. They want to be around it. They want to learn about it. You can't beat that."
You really can't and I think the campers really got to see at the mixer a side of players, like Matt Williams and Mark Grace, that they hadn't before. More so with Williams since he is usually a lot more reserved in public.
We had an early morning wakeup call today with a 7:45 bus to the ballpark. Of course most didn't need actual wakeup calls because they had trouble sleeping they were so excited for the first day.
It was neat to watch the faces of the guys as they walked into the clubhouse at the Kino Sports Complex and saw their name above a wood locker with two personalized jerseys -- a home white and black batting practice one -- hanging inside.
The guys took pictures of their lockers and uniforms before putting them on for even more pictures. The expressions they had as they looked at themselves in the mirror for the first time wearing a big league uniform was really something.
It reminded me a lot of photo day during Major League Spring Training. That's where card companies and the media are set up in stations and players rotate through the stations in their white home uniforms for pictures. Those are the ones you'll see on baseball cards and the scoreboard at Chase Field. For the veterans, photo day is more of an inconvenience than anything, but for rookies in camp who have never put on the D-Backs uniform it's a special moment.
There's always a few of them and you can catch them subtly trying to sneak a glance at themselves in the mirror to see what it looks like. It's refreshing to see.
Speaking of refreshing, anyone who wasn't awake when we went out on the field woke up pretty quick when the chilly morning wind hit him. Truly though, it wasn't bad and once we got moving you forgot all about the weather.
And there was a lot of moving on the first day. Everyone got a chance to get some outfield instruction from Gold Glover Brett Butler, and infield instruction from Chip Hale and Jack Howell.
On the offensive side of things, Williams, D-Backs hitting coach Mike Aldrete, Tosca and Grace took turns giving pointers and throwing short toss to us in the batting cages.
"I was impressed with the overall level of talent," Grace said. "But look, the bottom line is we've got a great bunch of guys at the camp that want to have fun and learn. We're going to make sure they have lots of fun, I can guarantee you that."
Most everyone seemed to make it through the morning session unscathed, but when we hit the field for batting practice after lunch, well that's when guys began to get a bit nicked up.
First of all, we're using wood bats here this week, and if you're used to swinging and aluminum stick the difference is striking. Combine that with the fact that some of us haven't swung any bat in years and the crispness of the day, and you had a lot of guys jumping out of the box shaking their hands. A few guys fouled some pitches off their shins and feet, which left them hopping about.
Speaking of which, the most popular place in camp at the end of the day was the training room. Greg Latta and his staff should have been handing out numbers like they do at the post office with the line they had waiting for ice or heat or a combination of both.
Of course the aches and pains will probably hit us all tomorrow morning. On the bright side, though, we'll certainly have no trouble sleeping. Getting up? Well, that'll be another story.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Plenty of ice, laughs at fantasy camp

01/17/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Ahhh, nothing like the smell of Icy Hot and Flex All in the morning to clear out the cobwebs.
Seriously, though, none of us will have sinus problems this week, as the air is heavy with menthol from the pain-relieving creams. You could tell that the first day had an impact on some guys, who gingerly got onto the bus for the morning ride to the complex.
We were split into four teams with the managers -- Mark Grace, Matt Williams, Brett Butler and Mike Fetters -- holding a draft in the late afternoon. I was chosen by Grace, and though the draft order was not revealed to the campers, I found out where I went when Grace said to me, "You were my No. 1 pick, so don't mess up." Of course, it was Grace talking, so it was far more colorful than that.
Speaking of colorful, I've got to tell you about one of my teammates, Daiton Rutkowski. There are some people that you come across in life that are so unique you never forget them, and Rutkowski is one of them.
We had Kangaroo Court in the morning, where campers were fined small amounts of money for various transgressions. Grace served as the judge, complete with a wig, and Williams was his bailiff. The fines are generally in $2 increments, but with the number of fines Rutkowski is racking up, he may as well leave his credit card on file.
Non-stop funny one-liners come out of this guy, most of which I can't share in this forum. He was actually the mayor of Prescott, Ariz., for four years in the '90s, winning re-election with 71 percent of the vote. At 62 years of age, he's on his fourth wife -- they've been together 25 years now, I should add -- and he's a gamer. He caught all seven innings of our game against the Williams team, even snagging a couple of foul popups, albeit one that went into his glove after bouncing off his chin and then chest.
But the guy made the plays and Grace gave him the day's lineup card with his autograph as a reward for being our MVP. You should have seen his face when that happened, since Grace has always been a hero of sorts to him.
The boys from "D-Backs Playing Hardball" were on the scene today, and after the game, they interviewed Rutkowski. When they asked him his favorite part of fantasy camp, he said, "The camaraderie, of course, and seeing all the naked butts in the clubhouse."
Early on in our game today, our play was a little ragged. OK, honestly we couldn't have caught a cold. We quickly fell behind 11-3 and Grace thought it was a good time for a pep talk.
"Men, we are absolutely getting boat-raced out there," he said. "I'm going to have to listen to Matty yapping all year long if we don't start playing some better baseball."
I don't know if we played better baseball, but we did rally to tie the game at 14 -- I scored the tying run -- in the bottom of the seventh and final inning.
I wrote yesterday that there were several players that had downright inspiring stories. One of them is Don Kucharek. This guy plays competitive softball three to four times a week and works out a total of six days each week, so I'm here to tell you that you won't find anyone in this camp in better shape than he is.
Oh, I forgot to mention he's 71 years old. Someone said the other day that they hoped they were in as good a shape as he is when they get to be 71. I just hope that I can be in as good a shape as he is sometime soon, much less when I'm 71.
We have another camper here, Earl Hagen, who is 70. Now, Earl's up in our game today and Don is playing second base on my team. Earl hits a popup that the first baseman couldn't quite get his glove around. The ball starts to roll slowly towards second. Don runs at it, and I don't mean he runs for a 71-year-old, I mean he runs at it, scoops it up with his glove without missing a beat, and now we've got a footrace to the bag between two guys with a combined age of 141!
Earl was moving pretty good down the line and the two of them darn near collided at the bag, but Don got there just a hair before Earl did to record the out.
I went in the training room after the game for some treatment -- more on that later -- and if it was crowded on Monday, it was even more so on Tuesday. As I was being worked on, I looked around the room and realized that of all the people in there, neither Earl nor Don were present. Boy, that's humbling right there.
Speaking of my visit to the training room, this week is not only about baseball it's about science. That's because we're all discovering muscles that we never knew we had. For me, on Tuesday, it was the abductor muscle. It's kind of just below your hip and above your thigh, and you have a tendency to tweak it when you round third base and slip on the wet dirt there.
Anyway, I always get my arm iced after each day because, well, it hurts like all get out since I haven't done this much throwing in years, and also because I want to make sure I stay on top of it so it doesn't become a problem later in the week.
Between that and the ice for the abductor, I walked around looking like the Michelin Man, as you can tell from the photo. I call it "preventive icing" but my manager calls it being a wimp. I'll leave it for you to judge.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Around the Horn: Catcher

01/18/2006
PHOENIX -- Needless to say, the 2005 season did not go according to plan for the Diamondbacks when it came to the catching position.
The club had high hopes heading into Spring Training with Koyie Hill, who had come over in a trade with the Dodgers the year before, and Chris Snyder, who was called up from Double-A in August to replace an injured Hill, set to battle for the starting job.
Both catchers played so well during the spring that manager Bob Melvin elected to keep them both rather than just one, with veteran Kelly Stinnett serving as backup. Stinnett elected free agency rather than report to the Minors and both Snyder and Hill struggled at the plate to start the year.
Snyder eventually got most of the playing time, with Hill being sent to Triple-A Tucson and Stinnett rejoining the organization, but offensively the position was not a strength for the club.
The trio combined to hit .218 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs. Snyder excelled defensively but struggled at the plate, finishing with a .201 mark and five homers and 26 RBIs.
"Admittedly [Snyder] was probably offensively at a level higher than he should have been last year," Melvin said. "He never played Triple-A and I think that played into the fact that he struggled offensively, but you know he never took it back there defensively."
The Diamondbacks bolstered the catching corps at the Winter Meetings in December when they acquired Johnny Estrada from the Braves in exchange for pitchers Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal.
Estrada was limited to 105 games last season, missing some time after being involved in a collision at home plate with the Angels' Darin Erstad on June 6. But he's regarded as a good offensive catcher, as evidenced by his performance in 2004, when he hit .314 with 36 doubles, nine homers and 76 RBIs and appeared in the All-Star Game.
A switch-hitter, Estrada hits righties better than lefties. Last year he hit .280 against righties and .214 vs. lefties, and in his career he's hit righties better, .284 to .239.
That would seem to allow the Diamondbacks to give Snyder playing time against lefties. Also, the addition of Estrada buys time for highly-regarded youngster Miguel Montero to continue to develop. Montero started the 2005 season at Class A Lancaster before being promoted to Double-A Tennessee.
"We've been looking at the catching position all offseason, and with Chris Snyder and Koyie Hill in house and Miguel Montero coming we feel like we've got strength for the short term and long term," D-Backs general manager Josh Byrnes said. "It's such a hard position to fill and we feel like we've answered that as best as we can for several years."
Hill is still in the picture, but must have a good spring if he hopes to take the backup role away from Snyder. A highly regarded prospect when he came over from the Dodgers, Hill hit .224 with no homers and six RBIs in 32 games last year.
"I think Koyie would be the first to tell you he wasn't happy with the way his year went," Melvin said. "He expected more from himself and we expected more from him."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Things are starting to shape up ...

01/18/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Major Leaguers play 162-plus games a season crisscrossing the country time and again, sometimes playing day games after night games and at times going weeks in between days off.
So how are my fellow campers and I holding up after one day of workouts and one game?
Let me put it to you this way: I happened to get to the bus first this morning and grabbed a seat in the front row as the rest climbed on. Almost to a man they turned to the bus driver and swore that for the second straight day he had added some extra steps somewhere along the way.
The head trainer here is Greg Latta, aka the busiest man in Tucson, and Greg swears that we'd all be in great shape three weeks from now if we continued with these workouts. Now I respect Greg a lot, and as the Diamondbacks head Minor League trainer and rehab coordinator he draws rave reviews from players and management alike. But, whoo boy, I think he's missing the point here. He may be right that we'd all be in better shape, but I'm not so sure any of us would survive that long to find out.
That being said, the fact that the two 70-year-old-plus guys have yet to go to the training room for treatment of any kind is really starting to tick people off. I mean, to put it in perspective, Latta and his staff have used enough ice in just two days on the rest of us that I think the temperature in the city of Tucson has dropped a good five degrees.
The campers here signed up for a Major League experience and it was a given going in that we were going to get real uniforms, play on a big-league field and be coached by big-time coaches.
But my fellow campers have also gotten to experience what it's like to deal with the media. FOX Sports Net was here today along with a couple of other Phoenix news stations -- including Craig Fouhy with Channel 15 -- interviewing players, who are clearly enjoying the attention from anchors they've watched for a while on television.
And I must say, from the interviews I've listened to, the guys are handling themselves like pros. The giveaway that they're not in fact Major Leaguers, though, comes at the end when they ask the interviewer, "Hey, when is this going to be on? I want my wife to Tivo it." You don't hear that in Major League clubhouses.
It was another hilarious Kangaroo Court session Wednesday and I don't think it will come as a surprise to regular readers of this diary that Daiton Rutkowski left the meeting with a far lighter wallet than he walked in with. One of the "charges" against him was brought by Mark Grace, the judge who made him stand on a chair in the front of the room and show everyone how he missed a belt loop when he was getting dressed.
Sid Rosenblatt, a retired physician from Scottsdale, Ariz., was fined $2 for getting into the training room whirlpool naked. Needless to say, this is considered a major violation. Sid is a veteran of these camps, having attended six of the Dodgers' over the years, but that didn't help him here as he was fined an additional $2 by Grace for using the phrase "That's the way the Dodgers do it" in his defense.
Things didn't go the Graces Aces way on the field, unfortunately, as we fell, 7-3, to Brett Butler's squad. I could say that despite the loss, I did walk away with the MVP award for smoking two balls in the gap and making all the plays at short, but, hey, I'm a team guy and we lost so I'll leave those parts out.
There's been a familiar voice echoing through the complex these last two days. Susan, who is better known to those familiar with the Diamondbacks as super fan, has been in attendance. Her presence really makes this an authentic Major League experience.
Brief background for those of you that haven't heard of Susan -- she is at every Diamondbacks home game and arrives just after noon to shout encouragement to the players as they park their cars. She often follows the team on the road and, when she doesn't, she'll drive to Tucson to watch the Triple-A team. She never misses a Spring Training workout either. So when I got done taking batting practice in the morning session and I heard, "Way to go, Steve Gilbert, awesome hitting. You're the best." I knew I had arrived.
I've received a bunch of e-mails over the past two days from people wondering how they can be part of the next Diamondbacks Fantasy Camp. If you are interested, send an e-mail to fantasycamp@diamondbacks.com and they will make sure you're among the first to know when they schedule the next camp.
One of my teammates, Steve Schufeldt, has a real head for the game, in a manner of speaking. He had a rough first day on Tuesday when, during our opening game, he lost a ball in the sun and it hit him just to the side of his right eye. It bled immediately and the trainers insisted he come off the field, but he refused to go in the training room and re-entered the game at first base a few innings later.
When he got on the bus Wednesday, he looked as if he'd gone 15 rounds in a heavyweight fight. He nearly got conked on the noggin again with a relay throw. I swear he's got a ball magnet in that head.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Fantasy Camp lesson learned ...

01/19/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- There are some lessons you learn in life that don't really cost you much -- maybe a couple of dollars or a few anxious moments. And then there are the lessons that cause physical pain.
We're going to talk about the latter today.
I tempted the Baseball Gods. And I paid the price.
I felt good when I woke up today, better than I have in a few days. And that's understandable, considering when I got back to the hotel on Wednesday at 5 p.m. I fell sound asleep until 8, when I woke up, wrote my diary and promptly went back to sleep.
My mistake was in talking about. I rode to the ballpark, talking about how good I felt. I got there and I told the trainer Greg Latta that I had turned the corner and didn't need any pregame treatment.
You don't tempt the Baseball Gods like that.
In the first inning of my first game of the day, I hit a chopper to the hole at short and sprinted hard down the line. Now, we've been told since the first workout to pace ourselves to not try to run harder than we can, but you lose sight of that when you're playing and, long story short, I pulled a muscle. Now, this is a family Web site, but there's no other way of saying it, I pulled my right groin, but good.
I gutted it out, though, finished that game, iced down during lunch (I'll spare you the details on that, but think Seinfeld) and played all seven innings of the afternoon game as well. Note I said that I played, not that I played well. In fact, I stunk. For two days, I didn't boot one ball hit to me during a game. In the first game on Thursday, I couldn't seem to make a play.
The coaches explained that it's hard to field a ground ball when you can't squat down, but by the same token, the opposing manager, Mike Fetters, named me the MVP of his team when all was said and done.
I did redeem myself somewhat in the second game, driving in an insurance run in the first win of camp for Grace's Aces. I also made a diving catch on a pop fly that just made things worse on my groin. But hey, it was an important out and it's not like I've got to save myself for anything. I've got a number of months until we do this again.
The next Fantasy Camp won't be until this fall.
I was glad that in the earlier game of the day, my teammate Robert Tallman picked up the MVP award. Robert, who is originally from Oklahoma and still has the accent, has been like Brooks Robinson at third base for us. I'm telling you, he's made darn near every play. Robert, who is slightly on the short side, was fined on the second day of camp for having a misleading last name.
Our left fielder, Rowdy Oxford, a.k.a. "The Ox," has also been a solid contributor. He looks more like a tight end on a football team, but he got a heck of a workout in left today and aside from his right arm noticeably longer than his left by the end of the day, didn't seem to worse for the wear.
The photos you've seen this camp come courtesy of another of my teammates, Danny Spitler. The Spitter is one of those interesting people you meet in life. He's a fascinating guy who owns a very successful manufacturing company in Phoenix. He and I had dinner the other night and he had some very good suggestions for how my wife Karen could go about finding a job as she was laid off last week. And while I'm on that subject if anyone out there has any openings, feel free to drop me an e-mail.
Back to Danny. He's spent the past several years traveling around the world whenever he can and has had a big impact in Cambodia, a place he and his wife Pam went last April. At one of the villages they visited, they were told that many of the villagers, particularly children, were getting sick because they did not have a source of clean water. So Danny said the Spitlers donated the $300 that was needed for the town to build a domestic water well. After they showed them pictures of the new well, some of their friends and family donated money for another three wells.
Amazingly, though, it didn't stop there as Danny said they next donated money to build a school that they thought would draw about 60 kids. Instead it was quickly overrun with students and they had to expand the project which now includes 191 students and six teachers that are paid $70 a month, a high salary there.
The Spitlers are headed back to Cambodia next month to visit the school for the first time and to break ground on their latest project, a library building. Danny said his father Irvin donated the $4,000 needed for the project. You should have seen the amazed look on Mark Grace's face when Danny told him the story at lunch yesterday.
A diary entry would not be complete without a Daiton Rutkowski story. I've written before about how great the coaches have been in the way they've interacted with the campers and how relaxed the setting is. The following story illustrates this:
We were out stretching for the afternoon game against Matt Williams' team and Williams was talking with several of our players. Rutkowski was still bitter about a strikeout he had in the first game of the day and was telling D-Backs coach Glenn Sherlock that he had thrown him a slider to strike him out, which Glenn most certainly hadn't.
"You sure did Sherlock," Rutkowski said. "And I embarrassed myself, looking like Matt Williams flailing at a slider."
"Excuse me?" Matt said.
"Sorry, Matt, you hit some homers, but c'mon I can't count how many times I was screaming at you through the television to lay off those sliders."
Only at Fantasy Camp can you say that to Matt Williams and get a smile instead of a scowl.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

A great week comes to an end

01/21/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- We came to camp last Sunday as 44 strangers and out-of-shape, would-be ballplayers.
One week, six games, one black eye, one pulled groin, 127 sore muscles, 4,386 pounds of ice and 122 pounds of Icy Hot later, we left as friends.
We finished strong on Saturday -- well the other guys did, I should say -- with a camp game in the morning, the much-anticipated game against the staff in the afternoon at Tucson Electric Park and the closing banquet in the evening.
Graces Aces paired up with Fetters Fenoms in the morning to take on Bugseys Bangers and the Williams Maulers. It was the first time during the camp that campers pitched as opposed to coaches and it became clear as the game wore on why we had waited so long to do so. I don't think you'll see too many campers that pitched today yelling, "C'mon how hard is it to throw a strike?" this year when Russ Ortiz is on the mound.
One of the things I enjoyed most during the week was seeing how my teammates interacted with the coaches. It wasn't so much the baseball instruction that they received, though there was plenty of that, but just the conversations they had with them particularly at our evening bull sessions.
All the coaches were generous with their time, which presented some really unique opportunity for the campers. I mean you have Mark Grace talking about what it was like to play in the 2001 World Series and when he knew it was time for him to retire after the 2003 season.
You had Carlos Tosca giving a detailed scouting report on newly acquired second baseman Orlando Hudson in response to someone asking if he was as good as advertised. Tosca ought to know -- he managed Hudson in Toronto. It's access and answers that as a reporter I take for granted, but is so unique for fans.
Our final kangaroo court of the morning was every bit as good as the rest, with Grace giving over his gavel and robe to Daiton Rutkowski. Everyone's hero, Don Kucharek, the 71-year-old who was in better shape than the rest of us, was fined for the first time. It seems Don left his black D-Backs hat -- we were issued two uniform sets at the beginning of camp -- at dinner on Wednesday night. With his team, which I was on, scheduled to wear black on Thursday Don tried to cover for his lack of a black cap by telling everyone that the team was actually supposed to wear purple ones.
We bused over to TEP after lunch for the game against the staff. It was quite a lineup they threw at us with an outfield of Mike Aldrete, Brett Butler and Lee Tinsley and an infield of Matt Williams, Jay Bell, Chip Hale and Mark Grace.
The final score escapes me, though I'm sure we must have won. Or maybe we didn't win, but we did score a run, which certainly felt like a victory.
Rutkowski as usual was doing his best to get in the other team's head from the dugout. My favorite line of the day was when Chip Hale, way out in front of a pitch, swung and missed. Chip looked like that swing tweaked his back or neck and, as he was kind of stretching a bit, Rutkowski yells, "Little out in front of that one, eh Chipper? Hurts don't it? Now you know how we felt all week."
The Awards Banquet was a great way to finish off the experience, with Joe Garagiola Sr. emceeing. Each manager introduced his squad and handed out MVP awards. Autographed jerseys were awarded and everyone had a great time.
I've got to give a shout out to Robert Tallman, who captured the Gold Glove Award for the week. Robert played third base next to me throughout the week and, like I said earlier, he was like Brooks Robinson out there.
Rob Peterson won the MVP Award for the Fetters team, though, I think everyone in camp would agree when it came to the mound he was neither a closer or setup man, but more like a long reliever/mopup man.
There were so many interesting stories in camp, that this diary only barely scratched the surface. It's hard to pick a top one for the week, but certainly Gary Bender's is right up there.
Gary is an environmental geologist in Tempe, Ariz. and the camp was a thank you gift from his wife, Kelly. What did Gary do to deserve such a gift? A couple of years ago, he donated one of his kidneys to Kelly. In a real touching moment, the amazing couple received a standing ovation at the banquet.
You don't often see an owner at Fantasy Camp, but one of the D-Backs lead owners, general partner Jeff Moorad, spoke and presented some of the awards. Moorad said he was amazed at the amount of media coverage the camp got in the Valley area and, in a surprise announcement, the Diamondbacks said that while they will likely raise the price of the camp next year, those who participate each year are locked in at their current price.
It will be interesting to see how many open slots there are next year as nearly everyone was vowing at the banquet that they would be back in 2007.
This was my first fantasy camp experience, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found reminded me how much I love baseball. It's easy to lose sight of that when your job revolves around the game. This group of guys from different backgrounds, states and countries proved just how lucky I am to do what it is I do for a living.
No one thought they were there to make a big league team. They were just people, who had a blast every day putting on a uniform and playing the game. Some played better than others, some were in better shape, but they all loved the game the same and in the end that was what it was all about.
Thanks guys, for letting me be part of the group. It's an experience I won't soon forget.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Jackson will provide needed jacks

01/23/2006
Are the D-Backs going to try to add any power? Chad Tracy seems to be the only hitter with power numbers from last year in the lineup besides Tony Clark, but he doesn't play every day.-- Marvin, Mesa, Ariz.
The Diamondbacks certainly lost a bunch of homers when they traded Troy Glaus and his 37 home runs to the Blue Jays. There are more ways to score runs than just with homers, though, and the Diamondbacks feel, as a whole, their lineup will be better this year.
If you look at what they've added you could make the case that they could be better offensively this year. The acquisition of Orlando Hudson gives them some speed and athleticism in the lineup and I think you would have to give him the edge offensively over Royce Clayton, who he essentially replaces in the lineup with Craig Counsell moving over to short. Eric Byrnes struggled offensively last year, but if he rebounds even just a little bit, he should provide more offense than Jose Cruz Jr. did in center last year. Johnny Estrada's bat behind the plate really improves the production there.
To me, Conor Jackson is a real key. If he hits that would be a real plus for the lineup considering he is replacing someone who hit 30 homers last year. The team will also need Luis Gonzalez and Shawn Green to hit around .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs apiece.
Regarding the previous mailbag discussion of left-handed pitching. Every time I watch a manager pull a better pitcher for a lesser "left-handed specialist" it makes me crazy. I understand that, statistically, hitters perform differently depending on the hand of the pitcher. But wouldn't it be better to simply focus on a pitcher who can get batters out, rather than expending all the energy to find someone who happens to be left-handed?-- Richard W., Tucson, Ariz.
Richard, I'm with you on this one. To me this is one trend that has gotten out of hand. Give me a reliever who can get batters out regardless of what hand he throws with. I think part of the reason that the specialist has become such a part of baseball is because it is so hard to come up with effective relievers, so managers try to match up as best they can. There are some situations where a left-handed batter's splits are so skewed that it makes sense to put a lefty on him, or a switch-hitter's power numbers are far worse from the right side. But to me it's a strategy that is employed far too often and has spawned a cottage industry of pitchers who would otherwise not be in the big leagues.
The Diamondbacks just signed Justin Upton to a $6 million contract and now they have two shortstop prospects getting paid large amounts of money. Why are the D-Backs paying so much for Stephen Drew and Upton when they play the same position and have no Major League experience?-- Todd S., Phoenix
The Diamondbacks drafted Drew with their first pick (13th overall) in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft because in their minds he was the best player available when their turn came around. Certainly he's done nothing to disappoint as he performed well at two different levels last year plus the Arizona Fall League. Some scouts think he's ready for the big leagues right now, but the Diamondbacks plan to be cautious and start him out at Triple-A Tucson next year.
Now, as for why they took Upton with the No. 1 overall pick this year when they already had Drew, the answer is simple: They felt he was far and away the best player in the draft; someone who they simply could not pass up on. Whereas Drew was a polished college player close to Major League-ready, Upton is a high schooler who is going to require a little Minor League seasoning. If in a year or two they are both Major League-ready and are both playing shortstop, the Diamondbacks will gladly find room for them on the roster with one of them switching positions.
But that's a big if. Sure, they are both extremely promising prospects, but if you look at the history of the draft, no player is ever a sure thing. If the Diamondbacks have to choose one day between Drew and Upton at short, it's a decision they'll be happy to make.
I was just wondering what Robby Hammock was doing and if he is still part of the Diamondbacks organization? I know he has a couple of surgeries and that's why he missed last year but he was showing good potential to become a real good ballplayer. Do the Diamondbacks still have him in their organization?-- Dominic O., Phoenix
I bumped into Hammock when I was down in Tucson for the Diamondbacks Fantasy Camp a couple of weeks ago. He is in the process of continuing his rehab from last year's shoulder surgery and expects to be ready to go when Minor League Spring Training begins in March. He was not invited to big league camp. Since being named starting catcher after the 2003 season, it's been a tough road for Hammock, with injuries to both his knee and shoulder. He's got a long road to make it back to the big leagues, but he said he was upbeat about his chances and was just looking to get back out on the field.
My guess is that his best bet to make it back to the big leagues at some point will be as a utility player, since he can play both corner infield and outfield positions as well as catch. If he's able to hit a little bit, that would make him a valuable piece for a National League team.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Around the Horn: Corner infielders

01/25/2006
A season after turning the corner, the Diamondbacks will be looking at the corners. Arizona's wide range of potential, from also-ran to front-runner, pretty much rests in the hands of a pair of high-end youngsters given jobs and the responsibilities that go with them.
Conor Jackson moves in at first base and Chad Tracy moves in at third, positions they earned with their promise. If they maintain their career paths, the decision to clear those paths will have been justified.
Last season, both were in the mix at first base, along with rejuvenated veteran Tony Clark. Now each gets his own base and, if they click, fans may be looking at the team's guts for the rest of the decade and beyond.
General manager Josh Byrnes may have been the one making the offseason moves, but Tracy was the one who put them in motion. His quantum leap in 2005 encouraged the Troy Glaus trade that overhauled the entire infield.
Tracy returns to third base, his favorite and presumably best position, clearing Jackson's way at first. Orlando Hudson, acquired from Toronto in the Glaus move, moves in at second, nudging Craig Counsell across the bag to short.
That's pretty heady influence for a 25-year-old. Tracy earned it with his production last season, even while shuttling between first and right field (where he made 51 starts). In fact, accommodating Tracy and finding a permanent position for him had been manager Bob Melvin's top offseason priority.
So Glaus was moved, only one year after being a trophy free-agent catch with a four-year contract. What changed? Well, in 2004, as the primary third baseman, Tracy's eight homers and 53 RBIs weren't up to the caliber the position demands. Last season, in only a handful more at-bats, he homered 27 times and drove in 72 (while hitting .308).
It was time to re-think the long-range plan. The confidence of having established himself offensively may settle Tracy's defense at the hot corner, where he had 25 errors in 2004, most of them on throws.
Tracy will have a busy Spring Training, working on improving the footwork he blames for most of his defensive woes. He obviously doesn't have to worry about something else he feels affected him that season: rookie jitters.
"I think it was a product of me being a rookie and being nervous and not being comfortable in my surroundings," Tracy had said in the wake of Glaus' departure. "It's not as big of an issue for me, because I don't think about messing up anymore."
Jackson has less history, but as much promise. He had a rough big-league baptism the last two months of the season, batting .200 in 85 at-bats with modest power. But the 2003 top draft choice has burned up the Minor League ladder, and everyone was anxious to see what he can do with an opportunity.
"It does put more responsibility on Jackson," Byrnes said, "which I think he is ready for."
Jackson's track record has "can't-miss" stamped all over it. While zooming up the chain, short-season Class A through Triple-A, he compiled a .332 average in three years. He was chewing up the Pacific Coast League at a .354 rate last summer, so no wonder the Diamondbacks promoted him two weeks after his appearance in the 2005 MLB Futures Game.
That experience was Jackson's first in a Major League environment, and he had said in Detroit, "This is where you want to be. But more important, this is where you want to stay."
His staying power may depend somewhat on that other kind of power. Even in college, at the University of California, Jackson rarely flashed the long-ball prowess looked for in 6-foot-3, 210-pound first basemen. His 1,074 Minor League at-bats produced 31 home runs.
For a big guy, he also rarely strikes out. With some big-league mentoring, he might find a productive balance between contact and power.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Mailbag: Where will Mulholland fit in?

01/30/2006
Steve, I am jealous! I want to do the Fantasy Camp next year or the year after, and want to know your age and the age of the youngest guy (I'm 38). Also, do the attendees pitch to each other or do the Diamondbacks have a coach or other designated pitcher?-- Brent V., Major, United States Air Force
Brent, you'll be glad to hear that the Diamondbacks do plan on making the Fantasy Camp an annual event. You can get information by emailing fantasycamp@diamondbacks.com . The age of the campers ranged from 31 to 71 and the coaches did most of the pitching during the week. That could change in the future, depending on how many pitchers are in the camp.
What are the D-Backs plans for the rotation and bullpen? Are they planning to stay like that, trade, or sign a free agent. There are some good free agents available like Paul Quantrill, Mike Remlingler, Jose Lima and Ugueth Urbina.-- Juan D., Phoenix
I've written stories on both the starting rotation and the bullpen recently that you might want to check out. But the short answer to your question is that I think they are pretty well set with both. It wouldn't surprise me if they traded Alex Cintron for a left-handed specialist, but other than that, I don't think they have plans to do much else before Spring Training. They pretty much have four spots in the rotation set with Brandon Webb, Russ Ortiz, Miguel Batista and Orlando Hernandez with a lot of competitors for the No. 5 spot. As for the bullpen, it looks like Jose Valverde, Brandon Lyon, Brandon Medders and Jose Vizcaino have spots pretty much locked up. Jason Grimsley, with a decent camp, would also seem to be a good bet. There are lots of candidates after that to fill out the 'pen including Brian Bruney, Mike Koplove, Terry Mulholland and Greg Aquino.
Do you think Mulholland will make the Diamondbacks 2006 roster? He is a good pitcher and can contribute very much to the Arizona team. Last year at Minnesota, he was very effective in the latter part of the season. His long experience can also benefit the younger pitchers.-- Bob H., Baton Rouge, La.
Mulholland certainly has a chance to make the team out of Spring Training. I don't see him being the team's left-handed specialist, because his left/right breakdowns don't really fit that mold. His role is more of a long man, spot starter out of the bullpen, something that is very valuable for a pitching staff to have. And you're right, Bob, his experience would certainly benefit some of the club's younger relievers.
Is Justin Upton going to play with the Diamondbacks in 2006? I don't see him on the 40-man roster. Will he play?-- Danny S., Elizabethtown, Pa.
Upton is not a member of the 40-man roster at this point. He received a non-roster invite to Spring Training, but will likely start the year at Class A South Bend. I think it is highly, highly unlikely that you'll see him in a Diamondbacks uniform this year.
What's the latest with Royce Clayton? Any chance he will be with us this spring? I know we have an abundance of shortstops, but he will surely be missed if he leaves. He was a pleasure to watch last year.-- Susan H., Peoria, Ariz.
Clayton has not signed with anyone yet and because he was not offered salary arbitration by the Diamondbacks, he is not eligible to sign with them until May 1. With Stephen Drew rising through the ranks quickly, the Diamondbacks were unwilling to give Royce the multiyear deal he was looking for.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Around the Horn: Middle infielders

02/01/2006
There will be a shift in appearance up the middle for the Diamondbacks in 2006.
Gone is shortstop Royce Clayton, with Craig Counsell moving over from his second base position. Filling the gap, though, is Orlando Hudson, who will add considerable life to the D-Backs' infield.
Acquired from the Blue Jays along with pitcher Miguel Batista in exchange for Troy Glaus and shortstop prospect Sergio Santos, Hudson brings athleticism along with a Gold Glove as the American League's best at his position from last year.
Alex Cintron will likely be the reserve second baseman, with a number of suitors also in the mix for playing time in the middle of the diamond, including veteran Damion Easley, third-year man Andy Green and 2004 first-round pick Stephen Drew.
Easley certainly has the edge in experience with 14 years in the Majors, while Green, like Easley, is versatile. Drew is a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, but he should see some time with the big club in 2006.
The key piece to the infield next season, though, is Hudson, a burgeoning star around whom general manager Josh Byrnes can begin to reassemble the pieces.
"I think there are many qualities," Byrnes said of Hudson. "One, he's arguably the best defensive second baseman in the game. Two, he brings a great deal of energy to the field. And three, he's also a pretty good offensive player for the position."
Losing Glaus will hurt in the power department. In his lone season with the Diamondbacks, Glaus led the club with 37 homers and 97 RBIs. But the club feels it will more than make up for Glaus' absence with Hudson, both defensively and in the clubhouse.
Among those who played at least 130 games, the 28-year-old Hudson led the AL in range factor (5.84) and tied the Angels' Adam Kennedy with a .991 fielding percentage. Hudson committed one more error than Kennedy, but he also had 130 more chances. At the plate, he hit .271 with 25 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 63 RBIs.
"I played with him in the [2003] Futures Game," D-Backs infielder Chad Tracy said. "He's fun to have around and a heck of a player. He keeps everyone upbeat in the clubhouse. He's a great dude."
The presence of Hudson pushes Counsell back to shortstop, a position he started in 2004 while playing for the Brewers. Last year's starter, Clayton, is a free agent.
Counsell is mostly a place-holder for Drew, but he's a capable one. The 10-year veteran can play third and second base as well as shortstop, and he can even log some time at first base. Counsell hit a career-high 34 doubles last season while posting his highest average in four years. He also established career highs with nine homers and 26 stolen bases. By committing just eight errors in 143 games, Counsell proved to the club his ability to field the ball cleanly. In 2004, he booted the ball nine times while logging 129 games at short.
Cintron will begin his sixth season with Arizona and his second straight in a reserve role. The 27-year-old split his time evenly between third, second and short a year ago. But in both 2003 and '04, Cintron was the club's primary starter at shortstop.
Also in camp will be Justin Upton, Arizona's first-round draft choice from last year. Like Drew, Upton is a shortstop, but he will be there on a non-roster invitation, so the D-Backs will mostly be taking a look at the 18-year-old to see where he stands in his development.
Aside from Easley and Green battling for a reserve role and the presence of Hudson, a number of eyes will be on Drew.
The Diamondbacks drafted Drew with the 13th overall pick in 2004 because, in their minds, he was the best player available. He performed well at two different levels last year, plus the Arizona Fall League. Some scouts think that he's ready for the big leagues right now, but the Diamondbacks plan to be cautious and will likely start him out at Triple-A Tucson this season.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Mulholland among D-Backs' invitees

02/03/2006
PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks have invited 15 non-roster players to Spring Training, and if history is any indication, at least one will be on Arizona's Opening Day roster.
The club has received contributions over the years from non-roster players like outfielder Quinton McCracken and infielder Carlos Baerga, and it last year got a sneak peek at first baseman Conor Jackson, who was added to the roster and called up to the big leagues in July.
There are seven non-roster pitchers coming to camp, including lefties Randy Choate, Terry Mulholland, Bill Murphy and Neal Musser and right-handers Casey Daigle, Kevin Jarvis and Mike Koplove.
Mulholland, 42, looks like a good bet to make the club, as Arizona does not have a lefty in its bullpen. The veteran was 0-2 with a 4.27 ERA in 49 relief appearances last year, and he's valuable for his rubber arm and clubhouse leadership.
"Terry's a great influence to have in the clubhouse," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "He'll take the ball anytime, and he's not scared out there. I'm excited about having him."
Mulholland came to the big leagues as a starter and has made 332 career starts. In 2004, he started 15 games and relieved in 24 for the Twins.
"He can give us a few starts if necessary, and [he] can get left-handers out," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said. "Plus, he comes with a reputation for being a tremendous teammate and a leader."
Choate could also factor into the equation as a left-handed specialist. He was signed to a two-year contract prior to last season, but he struggled, posting a 9.00 ERA in eight games at the beginning of last season before being removed from the 40-man roster and sent to Triple-A, where he had a 3.38 ERA in 47 appearances.
Koplove is in a similar situation to Choate, in that he was signed to a two-year deal before last season. He had a good deal of success from 2002-04 at the big-league level, but he couldn't find his groove last year, ultimately being removed from the roster late in the season.
"[Koplove] and Choate have both had some success," Byrnes said. "Hopefully, they'll be able to get it back."
Daigle is looking to get back to the big leagues, this time in a different role. The 24-year-old made the team out of Spring Training as a starter in 2004, but after struggling in 10 starts, he was sent to Triple-A, where his troubles continued. Last year, Daigle became a closer and had success in Double-A and during the Arizona Fall League.
Of the eight position players receiving invites, shortstop Justin Upton is the most intriguing, but he has no shot at making the Opening Day roster. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Upton received an invite as part of the $6.1 million deal that he signed last month. It will be the first time that fans will get a glimpse of Upton, who is expected to begin the year with Class A South Bend.
This will be the second straight spring that outfielder Carlos Quentin has received an invite. Quentin was a first-round selection by the D-Backs in 2003, and he has excelled at every stop in the Minor Leagues.
Unfortunately for Quentin, though, unless something changes drastically, he will begin the 2006 season with Triple-A Tucson, where he hit .301 with 28 doubles, 21 homers and 89 RBIs last year.
"He's a tremendous prospect," Byrnes said. "He's accomplished about all you can in the Minors, and now, it's just about finding a place for him."
That will be tough to do with veterans Luis Gonzalez and Shawn Green expected to manage the corner outfield positions in 2006.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Mailbag: What's in store for Clark?

02/06/2006
After a busy offseason, it's been a pretty quiet couple of weeks for the Diamondbacks. Alex Cintron is still on the roster, though I thought for sure he'd have been dealt by now. He is a valuable player and the D-Backs are not just going to give him away, so stay tuned to see what happens there.
Without further ado, let's pop open the mailbag and get to your questions.
I'm not a Diamondbacks fan by trade, but I am someone who keeps track over all of the wheeling and dealing throughout the Major Leagues. That being said, one thing confuses me. Tony Clark had a true comeback year in 2005, at least it seemed so to me. Had he been an everyday player, he probably would have ended up with over 40 homers and probably 115 RBIs. However, whenever I read anything about the 2006 D-Backs, he is never mentioned as being a significant part of their plans. I seem to recall the team signing him to a two-year extension, so what exactly will his role be with the team?-- Russell B., Chicago, Ill.
When the Diamondbacks signed Clark prior to last season, it was with the intention that he would serve as a pinch-hitter and mentor to Chad Tracy, who was moving from third base to first. As you know, Clark performed beyond anyone's expectations and ended up getting the majority of the starts there. The plan this year is for top prospect Conor Jackson to start at first, with Clark in a role similar to the one in which he began the 2005 season. The reason is that Jackson needs to play if he is to develop and reach his potential.
Jackson is a 23-year-old who has nothing left to prove at Triple-A. He could be a key piece of the puzzle for the D-Backs for years to come, so the first base job is his to lose. That doesn't mean that Clark won't have an important role off the bench and in a part-time starting role, and the D-Backs acknowledged that when they signed him to that two-year deal in midseason.
Considering the solid year Brad Halsey had in 2005, why are his chances of making the starting rotation not good? Also, considering the disappointment the bullpen was last year, why is Miguel Batista not being considered for a setup role?-- Bryon H., Oak Creek, Wis.
Bryon, I think Halsey, based on how he pitched at times last year, could very well be the frontrunner for the fifth spot in the rotation. The club is looking for him to add another pitch to his repertoire that is more of a change of pace, and if he's able to do that, he should be able to build on the success he had last year.
There are other candidates, though, who should make the competition stiff. Dustin Nippert is someone the organization is very high on, and while he might need a little more seasoning to work on a consistent third pitch, you can't count him out. And Michael Gosling had a very good spring last year and pitched well at times when in the big leagues over the last two years, so he's another guy who will be right in the thick of things. Keep in mind that a club hardly ever uses just five starters in a season, so a team needs not only the five guys who make the rotation at the beginning, but also two or three at Triple-A who are ready when the inevitable injuries and ineffectiveness strike.
Will the Diamondbacks keep only six pitchers in the bullpen so that they can have a six-man bench and not have to trade Alex Cintron? Also, I've heard rumors of El Duque and Cintron being traded for an elite No. 1 or 2 pitcher -- are they true?-- Andy J., Plymouth, Minn.
I think it's unlikely that the Diamondbacks will carry just six relievers, given the makeup of the staff right now. As for Cintron, if they don't deal him before the start of the season, they could easily carry him as a backup infielder along with Damion Easley. That fact that Easley can play the corner outfield positions, plus the fact that Tracy can play left and right if needed, makes it possible to go into the year with just one true backup outfielder.
What is Luis Terrero's role in the upcoming season?-- Juan D., Phoenix, Ariz.
Unless the Diamondbacks sign or trade for a veteran backup outfielder, Terrero will be the fourth outfielder, playing when one of the three starters there needs a rest or coming in for defensive purposes late in a game.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Diamondbacks ink free agent outfielder Jeff DaVanon

02/07/2006
PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed free agent outfielder Jeff DaVanon to a one-year contract with a conditional option for a second year, as announced today by Diamondbacks' Senior Vice President and General Manager Josh Byrnes. Consistent with team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks designated pitcher Michael Gosli