FRIDAY: Milton Bradley is also not on Arizona’s radar.
THURSDAY: D’Backs right fielder Justin Upton may hit the DL with an oblique strain, while left fielder Eric Byrnes is probably out for the season. Will the D’Backs make an acquisition?
The Barry Bonds idea has been dismissed. Beat writer Nick Piecoro wonders about Kenny Lofton, but GM Josh Byrnes prefers either a trade or internal options. Byrnes’ comments:
"There’s sort of a fine line between patience and stubbornness. But if we’re going to do something to improve our offense, it’s sort of [a question of] whose at-bats are we replacing, and what is that saying about an offense that at the end of last year, beginning of this year, looked like it was sort of taking a step forward? It’s not as simple as the last couple of months, although the last couple of months we haven’t swung the bats very well. Certainly sticking with guys who have shown it, and are young enough to start showing progress, is a consideration."
MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert notes that with those comments, Byrnes doesn’t rule out pursuing a pitcher. Micah Owings and Randy Johnson both have ERAs over 5.00, but they’ve pitched well at times and an upgrade seems unlikely.
Wesley Baier of AZSnakepit recently asked me who the D’Backs could acquire as a platoon partner for Chad Tracy, and I rattled off some lefty-mashers. Casey Blake is an interesting name, especially if he can fill in at right field.
