Kevin Towers says he’d like to see next year’s Diamondbacks team surprise people just like this year’s Padres team did. But only two clubs have lost more games than the Diamondbacks this year, so the new Arizona GM has some work to do. And Towers knows which areas of his new club he'll be targeting first.
“The focus will probably be primarily on the bullpen this winter, as well as the bench,” Towers told reporters via conference call.
That isn’t to say that the entire ‘pen will be turned over, but the Diamondbacks will consider every possible avenue as they look to improve upon an MLB-worst 5.82 bullpen ERA. Towers said he’ll explore major league free agency, minor league free agency, international options and the Rule 5 Draft in search of better production.
Towers gets credit for assembling the Padres bullpen, which has an MLB-best 2.85 ERA this year. Replicating that success in the desert “really boils down to good scouting and good evaluations,” Towers said. In particular, Towers’ scouts will be instructed to look for big pitchers (potentially starters who fit best in the ‘pen) with good fastballs and “plus” secondary pitches.
The Diamondbacks will also look to acquire starting pitching depth this winter; until then, Towers is familiarizing himself with the team and his new staff. After 14 years in San Diego, Towers has many connections in the Padres front office and didn’t rule out the possibility that he might bring some of his former Padres employees to Arizona.
Title of this page should be “Towers says sky is blue, grass is green.”
I like the Kevin Towers hire. He does know how to put together a bullpen, of course some of those pitchers won’t work in the D’Backs park as well, but I’m kind of betting he knows that.
I bet he hires a new manager, and I’m hoping this is where Ted Simmons lands. He spent many years as a scout/minor league player director /bench coach with the Padres while Towers was there. It seems a natural fit.