After making multiple high-profile offseason moves, the Diamondbacks entered the campaign with playoff aspirations, but the 37-46 Snakes sit a likely insurmountable 14 games behind NL West-leading San Francisco and 7 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot. Still, chief baseball officer Tony La Russa stands by the roster the front office has assembled, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. “I think the talent is very competitive,” La Russa said. “I think we just need to execute better. You don’t want to focus on the pitching because there are days when we don’t score enough runs and days we don’t defend as well as we can. I think it’s a matter of executing.” As for why the Diamondbacks aren’t executing, La Russa attributed it to the players pressing “just enough to where it can be the difference in the game.” With less than a month to go before the trade deadline, the D-backs don’t see themselves as sellers yet, but La Russa acknowledged that they “may do a little planning ahead.”
More from the NL:
- The 35-45 Brewers would rather acquire starting pitching than subtract it at the deadline, general manager David Stearns told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We always want to add starting pitching; add quality arms. I don’t know I’d term us a seller of pitching,” said Stearns, who went on to state that the Brewers “would have a very high price to trade any young player that has significant control remaining and who we believe can contribute to the organization for a long time.” It’s worth noting in light of Stearns’ comments that all three 20-somethings currently in the Brewers’ rotation – Jimmy Nelson, Zach Davies and Chase Anderson – are cheap and controllable for the foreseeable future. One starter whom the Brewers will likely look to deal is 32-year-old Matt Garza, according to the Journal Sentinel, though he’ll need to rebuild his value after a poor 2015 and a back injury that kept him out until mid-June of this season. Garza, who’s on a $12.5MM salary through next season, has fared respectably since returning – albeit in only 21 2/3 innings – with a 3.74 ERA, 5.82 K/9, 2.91 BB/9 and 50.7 percent grounder rate in four starts.
- The Marlins’ acquisition of reliever Fernando Rodney earlier this week is part of the payoff in owner Jeffrey Loria’s long-term investment in the team’s infrastructure, details Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com. Loria installed a board of directors in the offseason when he named Mike Hill president of baseball operations and hired Don Mattingly as manager. Along with Loria, Hill and Mattingly, the Marlins’ decision-making board consists of several other higher-ups, each given a voice in the way the franchise operates. Loria also spent to improve the Marlins’ analytics department and beefed up their pro and amateur scouting budgets, per Gammons. In regards to his playoff-contending club, Loria told Gammons, “I can honestly say this is the best I’ve felt about the Marlins since 2003,” alluding to their second World Series-winning season. “There are times when I think this team is as good as that 2003 team, but now’s not the time for comparisons. Now is the time for very smart people to work hard to constantly make us better, and that includes the coaching staff Donnie has put together.”
- The Nationals are concerned about the velocity drop right-hander Joe Ross experienced in their 9-4 loss to the Reds on Saturday, manager Dusty Baker told reporters, including Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Ross lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits while striking out only two batters. The 23-year-old’s sinker, which averages 93.5 mph, came in at a mean of 91.8 mph Saturday and fell into the high 80s in his final inning, notes Ladson. Ross insisted afterward that he’s healthy, saying, “My stuff wasn’t there, the command wasn’t really there. It’s a little frustrating, but I feel all right.” Washington will take a cautious approach and continue trying to limit Ross’ workload, stated Baker. After narrowly eclipsing the 150-inning total between the majors and minors last season, Ross is up to 95 1/3 frames this year.
If D-backs want to go to the playoffs this year, they need to do something like the Jays did last year.
They don’t have the run differential to think that’s even possible.
Eventually, owners and management will realize that you can’t buy a chip in baseball, you develop one
You can still buy a chip in baseball via trade and free agency.
Josh donaldson, troy tulowitzki, david price for the jays for a playoff push- didnt develop them.
Orioles traded for davis, trumbo, bought kim- didnt develop them.
Giants bought cueto, samardzja, traded for pence- didnt develop them.
Lots of contenders have pieces they bought or traded for that are contributing to their runs.
You habe to develop majority of your players and supplement with other acquistions. You cant just buy and trade for a contender.
You have to have the developed core.
Adding pieces is fine.
The D’Backs didn’t have a developed core like any of the teams you just named.
The Jays had a pyth record 10 games over .500 when they made those moves, they were still a good team with poor luck in one run games.
O’s have Machado, Jones, etc to build around
This year has just been a wash. Grienke seems to have shaken off a rough start, as did Goldy to some degree. Pollock will be back next year and Shelby isn’t as bad a pitcher as he has been this year. You saw the first have of last year what happens when he’s on. He’ll settle back into his usual #2 pitcher self with solid innings, and an ERA in the low to mid 3.00s next year. The team played well last year when the idea was to retool and rebuild a little. They ramped up expectations that feels like overwhelmed and pressed everyone. It was a good reality check for everyone in Arizona. They’re being built sort of how an NBA team builds. They have their franchise stars, now just spend this offseason to fill out some holes.
which is a terrible strategy for a baseball team because you don’t play 5 guys at a time and stars don’t mean nearly as much to a team’s success.
If the brewers are considering adding starting pitching, but are still considering trading Braun, Lucroy etc. maybe they can complete a deal with the Rays for some of their young starters?!?
By the time the Brewers are ready to contend all those pitchers contracts will be about up so it doesn’t make much sense for them to trade for them.
It makes me think top prospects/ MLB ready P might be in play for Lucroy . Trading for Rays P doesn’t make sense unless it’s for archer. But a straight swap doesn’t make sense. The brewers are in decent shape at least in the inf. With Villar, Arcia, and Gennett. They could conceivably keep Braun. Then fill in pieces around.
They would probably have to throw in Arcia or other prospects if they wanted archer
Rays would never take on Braun’s contract.
And dusty baker’s reputation for destroying arms finds its next victim- joe ross.
Ridiculous comment. Dusty has been stellar in that regard this year and let’s not forget Maddux is a top notch pitching coach.