last updated 4/6/12 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 2012
For 2011 Opening Day roster, click HERE. For End-of-Season roster, click HERE.
*Players on the 40-man roster: BOLD.
*Players who are injured: +
*Players who are Out of Options: ##
*Baseball America '12 pre-season prospect rankings: BLUE #
*Baseball Prospectus '12 pre-season prospect rankings: GREEN #
'MLBDepthCharts Magazine' includes this roster projection feature but includes additional info, such as player age, 2011 level and stats, 2012 salary and contract info in an easy-to-read, printer-friendly pdf file and excel spreadsheet.
*40-man roster total (36)
*Projected 2012 Payroll: est. $73,142,500, according to MLBDC Magazine
Projected Disabled List Position Players SS Stephen Drew* + UPDATE 4/4 - placed on 15-Day DL, retroactive to March 26th (recovery from fracture ankle in July 2011) 1B/OF David Winfree+ UPDATE 4/9 - placed on 15-Day DL at end of Spring Training Pitchers RHP Takashi Saito+ UPDATE 4/4 - placed on 15-Day DL, retroactive to April 1st (strained calf)
Minor League Free Agents Position Players
C Josh Ford (1/28: signed w/COL) C Lucas May(12/12: signed w/NYM) UTL Robby Hammock(11/22: retired) 1B Juan Miranda* (12/6: signed w/TB)
1B Andy Tracy* (11/8: retired)
1B/OF Michael Restovich 3B Sean Burroughs* (12/14: signed w/MIN) IF Tony Abreu** (12/1: signed w/KC)
IF Angel Berroa
IF Ed Rogers OF Ryan Langerhans* (12/23: signed w/LAA)
OF Jon Mark Owings
Pitchers RHP Armando Galarraga(1/17: signed w/BAL)
RHP Gaby Hernandez (2/4: signed w/WSH)
RHP Kyler Newby (12/16: signed w/BAL)
RHP Brian Stokes
RHP Jason Urquidez LHP Alberto Castillo(12/13: signed w/LAD)
LHP Clay Zavada (1/13: signed w/CIN)
Lost off Waivers/Released/Traded •C Craig Tatum## UPDATE 3/28 - lost off waivers to Yankees •OF Collin CowgillUPDATE 12/9 - traded to A's •RHP Ryan CookUPDATE 12/9 - traded to A's •RHP Kam MickolioUPDATE 11/8 - released •RHP Jarrod ParkerUPDATE 12/9 - traded to A's •RHP Robby Rowland UPDATE 3/31 - traded to Pirates
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
OFFSEASON PREVIEWposted 10/8/2011
It could be a fairly uneventful offseason in Arizona, especially if they choose to exercise the $8 million club option on second baseman Aaron Hill's contract. Their starting lineup would be pretty much set with Hill back in the fold. The rotation has a very good 1-2 punch with Ian Kennedy and Dan Hudson and two potential future aces, Trevor Bauer and Jarrod Parker, close to joining them. The bulk of a successful bullpen makeover was done last offseason. Aside from some fine-tuning, GM Kevin Towers has to feel confident knowing he doesn't have too many holes to fill this time around.
Goldschmidt hit 10 HR in 52 big league games
Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.
It's not a slam dunk that they exercise Hill's option but the change of scenery did seem to help after he was acquired from Toronto. The 29 year-old didn't re-discover his power from 2009-10 (62 HR), but he did post an .878 OPS in 33 games after struggling terribly in 104 games with Toronto (.583 OPS). The free agent market doesn't appear to offer any better second base options so I'd expect Hill to return for a full season in Arizona. Henry Blanco and Willie Bloomquist, who both played important roles in this year's successful season, have affordable mutual options. Re-signing Bloomquist and/or John McDonaldare probably on Towers' things to do list since both can back up Stephen Drew at shortstop, as well as play multiple positions on the diamond. Drew will be returning from a fractured ankle that knocked him out of action in July. First basemanPaul Goldschmidt, who didn't make his big league debut until August 1st, will also be around for a full season. The rest of the lineup returns intact with 24 year-old Justin Upton (.289 BA, 31 HR, 88 RBI, 39 2B, 21 SB) leading the way.
While Bauer is expected to be compete for a rotation job out of Spring Training, he could benefit for another few months in the minors. Parker, however, tossed 5.2 shutout innings in his big league debut in late-September and is a strong bet to be in the Diamondbacks' rotation when the season begins. Joe Saunders and Josh Collmenter should be able to hold the fort down until some of the youngsters arrive. Believe it or not, it doesn't end with Bauer and Parker. Tyler Skaggs and Patrick Corbin are two very good young left-handers that could be knocking on the door in 2012 while David Holmberg and Archie Bradley, who was the team's second #1 pick in this year's draft, could do the same in 2013. Needless to say, their rotation is in great shape for the foreseeable future. It wouldn't surprise me if Collmenter ended up in the bullpen, where he may be a better fit anyways.
During Towers' first offseason as GM, it was obvious that he would need to upgrade his bullpen. In a span of three days from December 6th thru December 8th, he acquired David Hernandez from Baltimore, signed closer J.J. Putz to a two-year deal, and picked up lefty Joe Paterson in the Rule V draft. All three, especially Hernandez (3.38 ERA, 11 Sv, 23 Hld) and Putz (2.17 ERA, 45 Sv), played a huge part in the team's turnaround. With rookie Bryan Shaw's emergence down the stretch, the 'pen looks strong from the 7th inning on. Towers is probably the best in the business at finding under the radar bullpen arms so keep a close eye on any of his deals to acquire relief help. Could turn out to be the next Mike Adams or Heath Bell.
•UPDATE 10/31 - The team exercised the mutual options for Blanco and Bloomquist and declined the club options on Hill andZach Duke. Bloomquist declined his end of the option, however, so he becomes a free agent.
•UPDATE 11/2 - Blanco has also declined his mutual option. McDonald has agreed to a new two-year deal so they've addressed their need for a backup middle infielder.
•UPDATE 11/3 - Blanco has reportedly agreed to re-sign for one-year with an option for 2013.
•UPDATE 11/9 - Bloomquist has agreed to return on a two-year deal.
•UPDATE 11/13 - Hill has agreed to return on a two-year deal. •UPDATE 12/9 - Starting pitcher Trevor Cahill and lefty reliever Craig Breslow were acquired from Oakland for Parker, outfielder Collin Cowgill, and reliever Ryan Cook. The 23 year-old Cahill will be one of the team's top three starters, along with Kennedy and Hudson. Saunders, meanwhile, may be on the trade block. •UPDATE 12/12 - Reliever Takashi Saito has reportedly agreed to terms, giving the team a veteran setup man to add to the mix.
I'm a huge DBacks fan, not sure Parra is the answer in LF... He regularly "falls asleep" in the field and makes poor baserunning decisions, not fitting the Gibson mold I think the team looks to Cowgill, Eaton (in AFL), Pollack, or mid-tier OF free agent. I also think this is the last year for Drew to prove himslef or get traded, which is going to be tough coming off ankle surgery.
Jason--I feel it's not as much of "falling asleep" in the field and on the basepaths, and more of being too cocky. While that is a problem, throughout the regular season, Parra still showed a lot of improvement, and has been improving on both sides of the field since his rookie year. With a 3.9 WAR over the last to years, essentially mostly used a platoon (up until mid-season), he's well worth the value compared to any replacement level player (narrowly missed out on Super-Two). Eaton and Pollock are both expected to open the season in AAA Reno, so we should get a look at both of them sometime next season. It'll be interesting to see who will be a part of the outfield for the long-term, whether it's Eaton, Pollock, Parra, or Young.
Stephen Drew should be ready for the regular season after undergoing reconstruction on his ankle. I really don't see what you're wanting him to prove. He's posted above average numbers over the last few years in nearly every category while playing SS. The only way I could see him possibly traded would be if they feel they can't resign him after the 2012 season. There isn't any depth in the upper part of the minors at the middle-infield; with the best short-stop prospect being a 20 year-old who didn't have much success in High-A ball (Chris Owings). In the upper minors Harbin, Hallberg, and Elsmore, all profile as similar players with low potential prospects and a "utility player" tag. All three have relatively low-strike out numbers, to go along with low-power.
Don't see Parra on a day-to-day basis like you guys so I can't comment on much other than his numbers. His .784 OPS is solid despite his lack of power for a corner OF. I'm not sure Cowgill or Eaton would offer much power either. They're all sort of tweeners. Not fast enough to play CF and not enough power to play a corner. I like Eaton a lot but he's probably a year away. Pollock is a guy who appears to have some upside and could put himself in position for a shot if he has a strong first half in AAA.
In regards to Drew, this could be his last season with the team anyways. He has a $10M mutual option for 2013. If he stays healthy and has a big year, he'd probably decline his side of the option and seek a big multi-year deal. If he is hurt and doesn't produce, the D-Backs would likely decline.
Overbay signed a $1M major league deal. Big waste if they cut him. Same deal with other projected players on bench. Goldschmidt is their starting 1B. Don't see him starting in AAA unless he struggles badly in the spring. I think it's most likely they trade Parra for a mid-rotation starter.
When I first saw that Jason Kubel had signed a 2yr/15million dollar deal with the Diamondbacks, I was beside myself. It sounded absurd that Towers would sign another left-fielder, especially with Gerardo Parra seeming to be a perennial gold-glove candidate. According to Tim Dierkes, Towers has already committed about $37 million dollars to 7 players (4 on 2 year deals). I was overcome with the feeling like I was re-watching Towers sign Mora, Heilman, Blum, and Nady and expect them to play at a major league level. While a few of last season's signings worked out (Putz and Bloomquist), most ended with absolutely no positive production and inevitably being released.
So why pay $7.5 million dollars to a left-fielder, when there was a readily available pre-arb player who would give you surplus value? And could have reallocated the money into obtaining a veteran for the rotation. But as the day progressed, I thought more about this acquisition, and am beginning to the Tower's ingenious mind at work.
Right now, it appears that Geoff Blum has become even more expendable since he was already behind Jason McDonald on the depth chart. Overbay is another option, but that seems doubtful given that Towers just signed him to a $1 million big league deal. Overbay would probably have a role much like Sean Burroughs did last season. On the field, Blum has more flexibility, so this is just a thought of a position battle for the last spot on the bench.
It's known among Diamondback followers, and most of the league now, that Gerardo Parra is blessed with the ability the field (and throw). He ranked 6th in the league among qualified outfielders with UZR; and 7th in UZR/150. But the numbers don't quantify the number of ridiculously difficult catches Parra made look routine; or the number of runners that didn't attempt to tag-up/try for the extra base. With this gift though, Parra tends to become cocky, and leads to mistakes batting, on the base-baths, and in the field.
I've noticed watching him the past season on TV, and at the games, that he carries a certain swagger, as if he's superior to the rest (like him getting hit by a pitch or nearly hit, and having to stare down the pitcher for a minute). This attitude leads me to believe he may not be a great clubhouse guy, but that's just a minor inference.
Jason Kubel on the other hand, is an atrocious fielder, but produces much more effectively offensively. Kubel hits for above average power (.188), whereas Parra is slightly below average (.120). In addition, Kubel a higher wOBA (.342 vs .316), wRC+ (109 vs 88), and has a higher percentage of his fly balls end up as home runs (which helps since he hits more fly balls than Parra anyways). This move may be solely as a result of a Parra falling out of favor with the Diamondback management, but more likely I feel it's a move of significant depth replenishment. In the Cahill-Parker trade, Towers traded for an established, cost-controlled pitcher while giving up his 4th outfielder (and a top 3 prospect). The signing of Kubel might be nothing more than having Parra shift to the back-up outfielder, where he may be better suited long-term.
As a defensive-first outfielder (yes he hits, but I feel it's going to regress once pitchers see his glaring holes at the plate), he'll fit perfectly at the primary back-up to Kubel, Young, Upton, and also as an excellent pinch-hitter with speed off the bench. The only other player on the roster that's "capable" of playing the outfield, would be Bloomquist, where he's limited to left-field And in the upper minors, there are only replacement level hitters, and prospects who need more minor league conditioning. That analysis (hardly) shows what my mind first conceived of the acquisition, but then I realized how much larger of a role Kubel is actually playing.
Paul Goldschmidt is widely assumed to have the starting 1B job secured, largely in part to his monster rookie season. I personally think Goldschmidt will start the season there, but Kubel provides much needed insurance (unless you'd rather have Overbay as a starter) in the event that Goldschmidt regresses terribly and needs time in the minors.
My conclusions may be completely off. Towers could easily flip Parra for starting pitching, he's not trading from a position of major league ready depth anymore. Instead, I think Towers will continue to look for a veteran starter via free agency, and sign him to a minor league contract, or with very little money guaranteed.
I think Joe Martinez has a better shot at making the 'pen at the moment over Joe Paterson. Currently, none of the projected arms are really meant to be used for more than an inning. For that reason, I think that Martinez would be more useful rather than carry a second loggy.
A little note I found interesting, Micah Owings and Jon Mark Owings are actually brothers!
1 Trevor Bauer 2 Archie Bradley 3 Tyler Skaggs 4 Matt Davidson 5 A.J. Pollock 6 David Holmberg 7 Chris Owings 8 Wade Miley 9 Pat Corbin 10 Bobby Borchering 11 Anthony Meo 12 Adam Eaton 13 Andrew Chafin 14 Keon Broxton 15 Evan Marshall 16 Marc Krauss 17 Kyle Winkler 18 Ryan Wheeler 19 Kevin Munson 20 Yonata Ortega 21 Charles Brewer 22 Ty Linton 23 David Nick 24 Michael Perez 25 Tyler Green 26 Jesse Darrah 27 J.R. Bradley 28 Brett Lorin 29 John Pedrotty 30 Socrates Brito
Thanks Ryan! Yes, when I get the minor league rosters up for them (hopefully in early April), I hope that you can help keep them updated. Send me an email then and I'll re-activate your blog access.
Just didn't have time to finish up on the projections. I'll finish up in the next few days with actual rosters, which are much easier than projecting rosters 3-4 weeks before the season.
Posts
22 comments :
any chance they resign Winfree. I saw he did pretty good in Reno but i think he got injured or something because he only played like 45 games
There isn't a whole lot of 1B/OF depth in AAA right now so I'm sure he'll want to re-sign. Unless there's a better opportunity for him somewhere else.
I'm a huge DBacks fan, not sure Parra is the answer in LF... He regularly "falls asleep" in the field and makes poor baserunning decisions, not fitting the Gibson mold I think the team looks to Cowgill, Eaton (in AFL), Pollack, or mid-tier OF free agent. I also think this is the last year for Drew to prove himslef or get traded, which is going to be tough coming off ankle surgery.
Great site, keep up the strong work!
Jason--I feel it's not as much of "falling asleep" in the field and on the basepaths, and more of being too cocky. While that is a problem, throughout the regular season, Parra still showed a lot of improvement, and has been improving on both sides of the field since his rookie year. With a 3.9 WAR over the last to years, essentially mostly used a platoon (up until mid-season), he's well worth the value compared to any replacement level player (narrowly missed out on Super-Two). Eaton and Pollock are both expected to open the season in AAA Reno, so we should get a look at both of them sometime next season. It'll be interesting to see who will be a part of the outfield for the long-term, whether it's Eaton, Pollock, Parra, or Young.
Stephen Drew should be ready for the regular season after undergoing reconstruction on his ankle. I really don't see what you're wanting him to prove. He's posted above average numbers over the last few years in nearly every category while playing SS. The only way I could see him possibly traded would be if they feel they can't resign him after the 2012 season. There isn't any depth in the upper part of the minors at the middle-infield; with the best short-stop prospect being a 20 year-old who didn't have much success in High-A ball (Chris Owings). In the upper minors Harbin, Hallberg, and Elsmore, all profile as similar players with low potential prospects and a "utility player" tag. All three have relatively low-strike out numbers, to go along with low-power.
Don't see Parra on a day-to-day basis like you guys so I can't comment on much other than his numbers. His .784 OPS is solid despite his lack of power for a corner OF. I'm not sure Cowgill or Eaton would offer much power either. They're all sort of tweeners. Not fast enough to play CF and not enough power to play a corner. I like Eaton a lot but he's probably a year away. Pollock is a guy who appears to have some upside and could put himself in position for a shot if he has a strong first half in AAA.
In regards to Drew, this could be his last season with the team anyways. He has a $10M mutual option for 2013. If he stays healthy and has a big year, he'd probably decline his side of the option and seek a big multi-year deal. If he is hurt and doesn't produce, the D-Backs would likely decline.
If Parra isn't traded you should expect to see Goldschmidt start in AAA or Overbay cut during ST.
Overbay signed a $1M major league deal. Big waste if they cut him. Same deal with other projected players on bench. Goldschmidt is their starting 1B. Don't see him starting in AAA unless he struggles badly in the spring. I think it's most likely they trade Parra for a mid-rotation starter.
This lineup looks borderline nasty with Kubel, baring a healthy return by drew.
Starting pitching also looks great.
Surprising playoff team last year and they look a whole lot better already going into next year
NL west could be a very interesting division next year
When I first saw that Jason Kubel had signed a 2yr/15million dollar deal with the Diamondbacks, I was beside myself. It sounded absurd that Towers would sign another left-fielder, especially with Gerardo Parra seeming to be a perennial gold-glove candidate. According to Tim Dierkes, Towers has already committed about $37 million dollars to 7 players (4 on 2 year deals). I was overcome with the feeling like I was re-watching Towers sign Mora, Heilman, Blum, and Nady and expect them to play at a major league level. While a few of last season's signings worked out (Putz and Bloomquist), most ended with absolutely no positive production and inevitably being released.
So why pay $7.5 million dollars to a left-fielder, when there was a readily available pre-arb player who would give you surplus value? And could have reallocated the money into obtaining a veteran for the rotation. But as the day progressed, I thought more about this acquisition, and am beginning to the Tower's ingenious mind at work.
Right now, it appears that Geoff Blum has become even more expendable since he was already behind Jason McDonald on the depth chart. Overbay is another option, but that seems doubtful given that Towers just signed him to a $1 million big league deal. Overbay would probably have a role much like Sean Burroughs did last season. On the field, Blum has more flexibility, so this is just a thought of a position battle for the last spot on the bench.
It's known among Diamondback followers, and most of the league now, that Gerardo Parra is blessed with the ability the field (and throw). He ranked 6th in the league among qualified outfielders with UZR; and 7th in UZR/150. But the numbers don't quantify the number of ridiculously difficult catches Parra made look routine; or the number of runners that didn't attempt to tag-up/try for the extra base. With this gift though, Parra tends to become cocky, and leads to mistakes batting, on the base-baths, and in the field.
I've noticed watching him the past season on TV, and at the games, that he carries a certain swagger, as if he's superior to the rest (like him getting hit by a pitch or nearly hit, and having to stare down the pitcher for a minute). This attitude leads me to believe he may not be a great clubhouse guy, but that's just a minor inference.
Jason Kubel on the other hand, is an atrocious fielder, but produces much more effectively offensively. Kubel hits for above average power (.188), whereas Parra is slightly below average (.120). In addition, Kubel a higher wOBA (.342 vs .316), wRC+ (109 vs 88), and has a higher percentage of his fly balls end up as home runs (which helps since he hits more fly balls than Parra anyways).
This move may be solely as a result of a Parra falling out of favor with the Diamondback management, but more likely I feel it's a move of significant depth replenishment. In the Cahill-Parker trade, Towers traded for an established, cost-controlled pitcher while giving up his 4th outfielder (and a top 3 prospect). The signing of Kubel might be nothing more than having Parra shift to the back-up outfielder, where he may be better suited long-term.
As a defensive-first outfielder (yes he hits, but I feel it's going to regress once pitchers see his glaring holes at the plate), he'll fit perfectly at the primary back-up to Kubel, Young, Upton, and also as an excellent pinch-hitter with speed off the bench. The only other player on the roster that's "capable" of playing the outfield, would be Bloomquist, where he's limited to left-field And in the upper minors, there are only replacement level hitters, and prospects who need more minor league conditioning. That analysis (hardly) shows what my mind first conceived of the acquisition, but then I realized how much larger of a role Kubel is actually playing.
Paul Goldschmidt is widely assumed to have the starting 1B job secured, largely in part to his monster rookie season. I personally think Goldschmidt will start the season there, but Kubel provides much needed insurance (unless you'd rather have Overbay as a starter) in the event that Goldschmidt regresses terribly and needs time in the minors.
My conclusions may be completely off. Towers could easily flip Parra for starting pitching, he's not trading from a position of major league ready depth anymore. Instead, I think Towers will continue to look for a veteran starter via free agency, and sign him to a minor league contract, or with very little money guaranteed.
I think Joe Martinez has a better shot at making the 'pen at the moment over Joe Paterson. Currently, none of the projected arms are really meant to be used for more than an inning. For that reason, I think that Martinez would be more useful rather than carry a second loggy.
A little note I found interesting, Micah Owings and Jon Mark Owings are actually brothers!
I believe they signed Ryan Langerhans, Robinzon Diaz and one more to minor-league deals on 12/23, according to ESPN.com
I'm fairly certain that was the Angels. I could be wrong, but I'll check Baseball America's MilB free agent tracker.
Jason, under the section On the Outside Looking In, you have a second baseman named Jacob Elsmore. I believe his name is Jacob Elmore.
Fixed. Thanks!
Hey Jason, where'd you find the top 30 prospect list from Baseball America?
The BA Prospect Handbook.
1 Trevor Bauer
2 Archie Bradley
3 Tyler Skaggs
4 Matt Davidson
5 A.J. Pollock
6 David Holmberg
7 Chris Owings
8 Wade Miley
9 Pat Corbin
10 Bobby Borchering
11 Anthony Meo
12 Adam Eaton
13 Andrew Chafin
14 Keon Broxton
15 Evan Marshall
16 Marc Krauss
17 Kyle Winkler
18 Ryan Wheeler
19 Kevin Munson
20 Yonata Ortega
21 Charles Brewer
22 Ty Linton
23 David Nick
24 Michael Perez
25 Tyler Green
26 Jesse Darrah
27 J.R. Bradley
28 Brett Lorin
29 John Pedrotty
30 Socrates Brito
Kroenke was outrighted not optioned. And did you want me to continue to update the Arizona pages, because I was removed from the blog again?
Thanks Ryan! Yes, when I get the minor league rosters up for them (hopefully in early April), I hope that you can help keep them updated. Send me an email then and I'll re-activate your blog access.
Have u decided not to do the minor league projections for the nl central and west and al west or is it coming soon?
Just didn't have time to finish up on the projections. I'll finish up in the next few days with actual rosters, which are much easier than projecting rosters 3-4 weeks before the season.
The minor league rosters are posted on their respective sites, no real surprises on the assignments.
Post a Comment