Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers spoke to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic yesterday. Highlights:
- Towers would like to bring back second baseman Aaron Hill, but not at his option prices of $8MM for each of the 2012 and '13 seasons. The 29-year-old hit .315/.386/.492 in 142 plate appearances for Arizona, his first stint in the National League. He's represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council, as our Agency Database shows.
- Towers is "leaning toward" exercising Willie Bloomquist's $1.1MM mutual option and will "probably" pick up a $1.15MM mutual option on catcher Henry Blanco. Piecoro expects both players back, so these might be rare cases where both sides exercise their end of mutual options.
- The GM is undecided on whether to tender a contract to lefty Joe Saunders, depending on whether he thinks the team's young starters are ready. Saunders is due a raise on this year's $5.5MM salary, which we'll dig into later this week here at MLBTR. Towers believes the team has the payroll space for both Hill and Saunders, if that's the route he chooses. I think Saunders will be tendered a contract, since he'd have some trade value.
- Left fielder Gerardo Parra's possible Super Two status is "too close to call right now," said Towers. As of August 23rd, a source told me the cutoff appeared to be two years and 145 days of service, which is the exact amount Parra has.
- Towers seeks a bat to complement first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and Piecoro thinks that might mean re-signing Lyle Overbay.
- Towers feels that the Diamondbacks' pitching staff is in "pretty good shape." The GM doesn't see "big, big" offseason needs, though he won't rule out a run at the "right kind of marquee guy."
Saunders definitely has trade since he excelled in pitcher’s parks this year. Though it also might not hurt to keep a veteran around.
Not for his arb #… Arizona’s young pitching talent in the minors makes him expendable.
but towers is great at scouting. He may be able to find a great player that teams undervalue
Someone will trade a useful live minor-league arm for Joe at the very least. No reason to waste value when you have Saunders under control. He’s a solid two-win pitcher making $8.5MM on a one-year deal. A lot of teams could use that kind of short-term commitment to fill a rotation hole. I’d be surprised if Joe wasn’t tendered a contract, but I would expect him to be subsequently traded.
Since when is Lyle Overbay a bat that complements anything?
If anything, he’s a detrimental bat.
Could Bloomquist finally have found a GM smart enough to appreciate him? I hope so and maybe a manger in Gibby who sees how hard Willie plays, the versatility, speed etc.. This guy brings to the table. Perfect NL player who can save an extra roster spot or maybe 2.
Bloomquist’s value lies in his ability to give the team the ability to sign some big, hulking monstrosity (Jason Giambi comes to mind) incapable of playing in the field to be on the bench and mash as a late-inning pinch-hitter. I’m very much hoping Arizona makes a play for Giambi this off-season.
I think Giambi is Colorado or nothing. I wouldn’t mind bringing Wily Mo though
Never understood the idea of the Giambi like character, even in the NL as a PH. Waste of a roster spot for one thing since cannot play any position (in his case, never could even below league average) and is not going to help nearly as much as someone with far more tools, even say a Wes Helms guy on the bench, much less a Bloomquist type who can be used to at LEAST play a position when people are PH for in the NL.
It is as fun to watch Giambi attempt to field grounders as it was to watch Daniel Cabrera bat… For those not familiar.. Adam Dunn labeled Cabrera the bat you “must see” during his Nationals time and K’d 24 times in his 26 career AB’s…
There’s more to Bloomquist than just the numbers. He’s a real team leader with veteran experience and can mentor the rookies.