Diamondbacks Links: Do Dbacks Need Late Inning Relief Help?
By Joseph Jacquez
Addison Reed struggled in the 9th last season despite saving 32 games. Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Good Evening Arizona Diamondbacks fans and VenomStrikes readers! There is no better way to end your Monday by catching up on all that is happening with the Dbacks and around Major League Baseball! Let’s dive in! Here are your evening links!
Diamondbacks Links:
FanGraphs streamer projections has us finishing at 74-88, and once again occupying the cellar of the National League West. Now you might say that is a 10 win improvement from last season, but that certainly wouldn’t please Tony La Russa who said earlier this offseason that he expects his team to finish above .500 at 82-80.
First of all the Rockies finishing at 78-84 is a complete joke. Second, there projections for A.J. Pollock and Chris Owings seem a little low especially if they can both stay healthy. Pollock is at a 2.9 fWAR, and Owings is at 1.5. Pollock should be able to put up a 2 WAR just from defense alone.
I think FanGraphs is underestimating this team. They think were going to give up 4.20 R/G which is actually an improvement over last season, but they think our offense is going to be stuck at around 3+ runs a game. Yasmany Tomas should help, and if Pollock, Owings, Paul Goldschmidt, and Mark Trumbo can all stay healthy, our offense should be really good.
Of course everything is going to be dependent on health, and our pitching staff. I think where Jake Lamb, Tomas, and Trumbo end up playing will also effect things. At this point I have no idea how this team will do, but I think there better than 74 wins. Trevor Cahill will be the key to the pitching staff. If he can be the pitcher he was three years ago, that would help.
The Dbacks Missed Out On Adding Late Inning Relief-Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report thinks the Diamondbacks have missed out on adding late inning relief.
This subject hasn’t really been talked about much this offseason, and it’s because the new management has made it priority no.1, no.2, and no.3 to add depth to the starting rotation.
Brad Ziegler, Oliver Perez, and Evan Marshall provide some nice late inning options for the Dbacks. The Dbacks have also stated that they don’t want to trade their bullpen depth.
The article does bring up a good point. The Snakes bullpen converted just 35 of 56 save chances, and ranked 23rd in the league with a 3.92 era.
No teams bullpen is perfect, but the Dbacks let 21 wins get away because a save wasn’t converted.
Addison Reed did convert 32 of 38 save chances last season, but his era of 4.25 is way to high for a closer. I never thought that Reed was a good fit for Chase Field. He is an extreme fly ball pitcher, and combine that with declining velocity at times just isn’t a good fit. Adding someone with closers experiment to take the 9th inning if Reed strugglers might not be the worst idea.
Mark Trumbo has more value than we think-Rant Sports
Despite a rough 2014 season, Drew Jenkins at Rant Sports argues that Mark Trumbo has more value because offense is at a premium in today’s game.
Notes From Around the MLB
Phil Hughes has been extended by the Twins through 2019-Puckett’s Pond
Pirates submit winning bid for Jung-Ho Kang-Rum Bunter
Josh Johnson agrees to one year deal with Padres-Yahoo Sports
Nationals sign Heath Bell to minor league deal-District On Deck
Marco Scutaro out four to six months after back surgery-FanSided.com