The Arizona Diamondbacks got a reliever as promised on Sunday morning.  It was a reliever from the Oakland A’s, but not the one we all thought it would or should be.  The Dbacks received reliever Brad Ziegler from the A’s for first baseman Brandon Allen and reliever Jordan Norberto.  I can only guess the price was too high for Grant Balfour.  Ziegler is more of a situational pitcher.

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The post-Dan Haren era started Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies with a 9-5 loss.  The Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen had another “tremendous” effort.  Starter Rodrigo Lopez left the game leading 5-4.  Blaine Boyer seemingly had things in hand in the sixth inning until manager Kirk Gibson replaced him with Jordan Norberto.  Norberto subsequently came in and gave away the farm.  Surprised?  I’m not.

You know what I was surprised about?  Our new interim general manager Jerry Dipoto.  During tonight’s telecast on Fox Sports Arizona he was interviewed up in the booth.  During that interview, Dipoto was asked by Darren Sutton if he had met newly acquired starting pitcher Joe Saunders yet, whom the camera caught in the dugout as Dipoto was asked the question.  he said he hadn’t had the chance to meet him yet.  Really?  Instead of doing your spin tour Jerry, how about going and meeting the player you traded for only 48 hours earlier!  Clearly, it appears to be chaos in the front office.   No one knows what they are doing when it comes to baseball decisions.

I’m afraid for what lies ahead for the rest of the week.  Which players survive and who leaves Phoenix?

The fact is Dbacks fans, this team is not any good.  At all.

Statistically we all know the bullpen is the worst ever in the modern era of baseball.  Tonight was no exception to that exhibition.  Name him, he’s awful.  They go by the names Esmerling Vazquez, Blaine Boyer, Chad Qualls, Aaron Heilman, Jordan Norberto, Juan Guiterrez and Sam Demel.

The Dbacks need more change.  It’s time.  Whether through fire sale, cuts, whatever, the Dbacks aren’t making the right moves when it comes to players.  Sure, they dropped dead weight in Dontrelle Willis a couple of days ago.  Let’s be realistic though, the troubles run MUCH deeper than Willis and replacing him with Jordan Norberto is like replacing the Rock’s “Tooth Fairy” from your 2010 DVD collection with “MacGruber“.  It’s just plain wrong.

How in the world is Conor Jackson the only position player you have moved at this point?  Chris Snyder.  He’s awful.  He’s about as useful as a bar of soap at in a mud wrestling ring.  KTAR’s John Gambadoro said it best earlier today on Gambo & Ash, mark Reynolds and Justin Upton do not belong on the same team.  You just simply can not have the two co-exist on the same roster and expect a winning team.  Combined they strike out way too much, much less alone.  Problem is, the team won’t give up Upton.  He’s still young and is viewed as having great potential.  The other problem is who wants a .217 hitter, no matter how many home runs are hit?  As much as he strikes out, Reynolds is just not of any value to anyone right now.  Unfortunately I think we are stuck with both for awhile.

The team can’t hit in critical situations.  Tonight was a great example.  Twice they had rally killers with strikeouts.  Reynolds came up with runners at first and third and no one out.  What happens?  Yep, he struck out.  Next guy, Adam LaRoche, hits into a double play.  Then a short lived rally is killed by Miguel Montero and Mark Reynolds striking out.  I don’t care if he is hitting .377, Montero can not come up with runners on base and strike out.  He could be hitting .777.  If he is making outs with runners on base, all that great hitting is for not.

I could go on and on, but I need to save some for tomorrow, because ultimately, it will be the same story, just a different day.

Party on!