Jackson, Reynolds hit big in spring loss to Sox

Conor Jackson has like what he has seen at the plate in the first two Cactus League games of the spring. Hitting .667 is not too shabby. Good to see that he's dialed in early.

Jackson was on base in the fourth when Mark Reynolds hit a long 3-run homer to get the D-backs going against the White Sox at TEP. That was Reynolds' first hit of the spring in 4 at-bats.

On the mound, the D-backs had Webb going today while he was battling the flu. Two shutdown innings though...

Billy Buckner, Yusmerio Petit, and Dustin Nippert among others finished out the game, with Nippert giving up 3 ER in the 9th to hand the D-backs a 7-5 defeat.

More White Sox tomorrow with Dan Haren making his Arizona debut on the hill...

Making a case for Bonds to the D-backs

Just got to thinking about Barry Bonds and where he may end up playing this season. Anybody but the Diamondbacks is probably what you're thinking. The D-backs have a tight payroll with a good crop of young, upcoming players.

But...think about this scenario for a minute. Everyone knows that the biggest negative with the D-backs this year, as it was last year, is their inability to score runs. They don't have a big bat anywhere in the lineup. If they were to bring in Bonds for 1 year only (presumably at a much reduced rate than he was previously able to garner) , it would give the D-backs the bat they need in the middle of the order. Of course he is a major defensive liability, but we lived with the substandard defense of Luis Gonzalez in left field for 8 years and he was able to deliver a World Series.

So....this is how I would imagine the team would take shape with Bonds: Bonds in left, Byrnes in right, Upton at third, and Mark Reynolds on the trade block.

Hmm...Upton at third you say....well, he has come up through the system as a shortstop, so he should certainly be able to move over to third. Upton appears to have a bigger upside than Reynolds, so that would necessitate having to trade Reynolds. But, that wouldn't be the end of the world because the team could get back some of the prospects that were lost in the Valverde and Haren trades.

Just a thought....what do you think?

Brandon Medders on a different big stage?

Very cool piece today on Brandon Medders from mlb.com. The 28-year-old relief pitcher from Alabama apparently gets as amped up playing guitar as he does stepping on the mound.

"Sweaty palms," Medders says with a laugh. "You get the adrenaline rush, but once you get going, it's turns out to be pretty cool. Playing in front of huge crowds, I tend to get nervous, but once I settle down, I play pretty good."

Last year he traveled with his electric guitar and amplifier while he was with both the D-backs and Triple-A Tucson, and plans to continue to carry it around this year and jam with fellow D-back guitarists Brandon Webb, Brandon Lyon, and Conor Jackson.

Well, hopefully Medders can make the Opening Day roster at this point. It's going to be tough given the bullpen is just about full. Prior to his rough time last season, he had shown he could be very effective at this level. So, it's really a matter of him getting his confidence/cockiness back to where it needs to be to pitch consistently in the majors.

If Doug Slaten is still out of commission (coming back from microfracture knee surgery) when the season starts, Medders has a chance to grab that spot at least on a temporary basis. Since Medders is out of options, he would have to clear waivers before being able to be demoted back to Tucson. He's in a tough spot, but if he can make the most of it this spring, he can control his own destiny and stay with the club long term.

D-backs: Jackson helping out Nixon at first

I couldn't help but notice in today's D-backs workout that Conor Jackson was going out of his way to help Trot Nixon acclimate to his new surroundings at first base. Not that Jackson really has to worry too much about Nixon taking at bats from him, but Nixon is a veteran who's going to do everything possible to make the big club to start the season. So, to see Jackson really work with him was nice to see.

Melvin sets initial rotation for spring games

Today BoMel set the rotation up for the first 4 games of spring training. The order will be Micah Owings out of the gate on Thursday against the Rockies; Brandon Webb on Friday against the White Sox; Dan Haren goes Saturday also against the White Sox; and Doug Davis will throw in a split-squad game on Sunday against those same White Sox.

So, no Big Unit quite yet. Melvin said that Johnson will throw against live hitting for the first time this spring on Thursday. Then he'll most likely have a minor league start before getting his first chance in a regular spring training game. Things still seem to be looking good for Johnson..so, let's hope he stays on track.

Jackson lone man at first for D-backs

Conor Jackson has a new outlook this year, in part because the shadow of Tony Clark won't be lurking around anymore.

"I never knew when I'd be playing with Tony Clark kind of over my shoulder," Jackson said. "It's good to know that you're the guy. It instills a little confidence in you, and I worked hard in the off season to instill some confidence in the staff and front office."

Jackson admits he had been trying too hard in the past to be something that he wasn't, mainly a guy who was going to hit 40 home runs a year.

"The bottom line is production's production," Jackson said, "whether you're hitting 20 (homers) and driving in 100 or hitting 40 and driving in 100. It's still driving in 100 runs."

Back in January, when I posted my preferred batting order for the team this year, I put Jackson in the 3rd spot. I believe that still might be the spot where he ends up. Although Melvin will go through his normal lineup du jour this year, Conor seems to be as focused as he's ever been, and wouldn't surprise me if he can hit right around .300 with 100 steaks.

So far so good for D-backs Tracy

In another positive sign for D-backs fans, Chad Tracy has now started to add more agility drills to his Spring Training workout.

"Today was the day that I feel like you get over the hump and get back on the good side," Tracy acknowledged after a full workout with the team, taking a blistering batting practice session against live pitching and shagging flies after his early-morning agility testing. "I feel good. No pain. I haven't pushed it really hard, but I feel good. This was a little more intensity. Basically getting some of the patterns and running movements back ingrained."

So, looks to be baby steps now for Tracy...adding on a little bit each day in trying to get where he needs to be by Opening Day. I'm really pulling for Chad here, but I can't help but be a bit on the skeptical side in terms of being ready by the end of March. This is microfracture surgery we're talking about here. Now, baseball is nowhere near the movement oriented nature that basketball is (where this injury has been seen more often), but still requires a lot of quick movements, especially at the hot corner.

Spring Training Video: D-backs first full squad workout

Ahh.....nothing quite beats the first full squad workout of the spring. Media everywhere.....D-back's top brass on hand.....but of course nothing tops the smell of fresh cut grass, gloves popping, and bats cracking. Here is a video montage from Thursday morning's workout....

Nixon inks with D-backs

The Diamondbacks have now signed Trot Nixon to a minor league contract, ESPN is reporting today. It is expected to be officially announced today in Tucson. He is expected to join the team on Saturday. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm still a little surprised Nixon was not able to get a major league deal somewhere...but we'll certainly take him here. He certainly does look to be able to provide some insurance here and obviously doesn't cost the D-backs much.

D-backs still thinking about Trot

The D-backs are still trying to figure out a way to mix Trot Nixon into the team this season if at all possible. The 33-year old Nixon, a long time Red Sox fixture in right-field, who played last season in Cleveland, had what seemed to be an impressive workout for the D-backs a few days ago.

"It's complicated in the sense that there are a number of scenarios that could play out if he were to sign with us," D-backs GM Josh Byrnes said. "So we are trying to contractually deal with them."

The team is primarily interested in him as insurance if Chad Tracy isn't ready for opening day.

Nick Piecoro also reports that General Manager Josh Byrnes said he would “rather not comment” on whether the club has made an offer to him or not yet. Piecoro seems to think that means they probably have.

I'd be a little surprised if Nixon is amenable to the kind of terms the D-backs would be offering. Seems he has enough of a bat left to land a more secure position elsewhere.

Eric Byrnes shaggin' wagon gets nabbed?

Eric Byrnes showed up early to camp on Monday in Tucson with the D-backs. Well, he would have been even earlier had he not been picked up by Tucson police had expired plates. Apparently he was pulled over on his way to the park and was going to spend this morning down at the DMV trying to get it squared away.

My first thought when I saw this was trying to imagine Byrnes pulling up at the DMV in his shaggin' wagon, and spending half a day cavorting with the local misfits. He probably had a good time with it though...in fact...hopefully he brought his camera crew from 'The Eric Byrnes Show' to televise this can't-miss occasion. I mean, if he can have fun at Cabela's and Fry's Foods, he could certainly have a special hour-long episode at the DMV.

Can you imagine Byrnes interviewing all of the random people and DMV workers there? Maybe having an impromptu game of wiffle ball in the waiting room to kill time while the hours passed waiting for the message board to call his magic number. Or perhaps he could give tours of his wagon to the kids or just sit back and make fun of the DMV workers.

Hope it was fun Byrnes....and I truly hope you were able to capture some of that on camera :)

Jon Heyman's top 10 GMs: D-backs Byrnes included

Jon Heyman from si.com did a top 10 list today on the best GMs in baseball. Here's his list:

1. Theo Epstein, Red Sox
2. Billy Beane, A's
3. Dave Dombrowski, Tigers
4. Mark Shapiro, Indians
5. Brian Cashman, Yankees
6. Pat Gillick, Phillies
7. Josh Byrnes, D-backs
8. Omar Minaya, Mets
9. Dan O'Dowd, Rockies
10T. Kevin Towers, Padres
10T. Ken Williams, White Sox

It was very nice to see Byrnes at least listed in his top 10. But, making the N.L.C.S. last year should rightfully go a long way. I'm sorry, but as a good a job as Theo Epstein does in Boston, I just can't see how he is at the top of anyone's list. Sure he's done great things there, but I could do some damage as well with the money and resources he has at his disposal. Generally, the guys who impress me the most are the ones that do well with very little. Billy Beane and Josh Byrnes are the best in this area, no doubt about it.

Here's my list:


1. Billy Beane
2. Josh Byrnes
3. Mark Shapiro
4. Dave Dombrowski
5. Theo Epstein
6. Omar Minaya
7. Kevin Towers
8. Brian Cashman
9. Pat Gillick
10. Dan O'Dowd

As I had talked about earlier this month, Byrnes is on the rise, and I suspect in a couple of years he may be at the top of not only my list, but Heyman's as well.

Big Unit big fan of reality

The Arizona Daily Star had a good feature on Randy Johnson this morning. His back and his age are always the focal point when talking about Johnson. The 44-year old has now thrown three bullpen sessions and looks to be ready to throw off a mound during today's workout.

"I don't want to go out there and base my career on memories," he said. "I want to go out there and continue to make memories and put up numbers."

Proving other people wrong appears to be a primary motivation for the Unit this coming season. That, and the fact that he's only 16 wins shy of 300 doesn't hurt either. It also appears clear that if his back were to act up again this season, that it would be his last.

"If this was to happen again, I'm 99.9 percent — isn't that what everyone says when they retire? I don't even want to talk about that," he said. "I've put a lot of time and effort into it, so hopefully everything will be fine."

When asked about the Mitchell Report and if he was following it at all, he said he was spending more time watching reality TV. Hmm...he didn't elaborate on which shows....American Idol....Dancing with the Stars....Girls Next Door....I'll guess The Apprentice.

Given the success Johnson had when he was healthy last year, I will be surprised if he's not able to pull off some success this year as well. 16 wins....16 wins is certainly quite doable for him.... and the motivation of not having to come back again next year to get it may be incentive enough to nail it down this year.

The Winterland of Diamondbacks Spring Training?

Woohoo!! Spring training has officially started for our D-backs....but.....someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. Tucson had daytime temps in the 30's and 40's today with some snow flurries! Possibly some more snow tonight as well. But, it will be back close to 70 by Sunday.....can't wait to catch the team practice next week...

10th Anniversary D-backs team

As part of the Diamondback's 10 year anniversary celebration, dbacks.com is having a vote for the best Arizona Diamondbacks players over the last 10 years. While a few were automatic...others were a bit tough.

Here's how I picked 'em:

Catcher - Damian Miller
First - Mark Grace
Second - Orlando Hudson
Short -Tony Womack
Third - Craig Counsell
Outfield - Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley, Eric Byrnes
LHP - Randy Johnson
RHP - Brandon Webb
RP - Jose Valverde
Manager - Bob Melvin

Behind the plate, Damian Miller has meant the most to the organization because of his outstanding defense and above average hitting during the early years. He was also able to catch Johnson and Schilling so well during those playoff runs and World Series. Honorable mention: Would really like to pick Jorge Fabregas...but better go with Chris Snyder.

First base has to be Mark Grace. While none of these guys has played more than a few seasons with the D-backs...Grace was a clutch hitter and played masterful defense during his 3 years. Honorable mention: Erubiel Durazo

Second base was difficult. I wanted to give it to Jay Bell for all of the solid years he was there...but couldn't pull the trigger. O-dog is just an all-around better player. Give Jay the honorable mention here.

Shortstop was fairly easy picking Womack. He was an instrumental catalyst for the club from '99 to '03. Honorable mention: hmm.. Andy Fox...no...Alex Cintron.....ugh...no honorable mention here....

At third the obvious choice would be Matt Williams. However, I felt compelled to include Craig Counsell on this team, and this was the position to do it. Sorry Matty...but to me Counsell was a much bigger contributor to the many years of success while he was here. I'll give Williams the honorable mention.

The outfield was straightforward as well. These 3 guys are big time MLB players..not just all-time D-backs players. Honorable mention: Danny Bautista and Devon White. It pained me not to see Brent Brede on the list...

LHP was obvious...give honorable mention to Brian Anderson. Wait...why wasn't Mike Myers on the list??

RHP wasn't easy. At first thought it was Schilling. But, then I realized that Webb probably is a better pitcher and still has many good years ahead of him. Honorable mention goes to Schilling here.

Relief pitcher was not obvious either. I mean, who can forget the gritty Gregg Olson or our favorite flamethrower Matt Mantei. Based on last year's performance alone, must go with Valverde. Honorable mention: Matt Mantei.

The manager....Bob Brenly obviously won a World Series in 2001. But, if you compare the talent level of the '07 team to that of the '01 team....no contest....Melvin got the very most out of his guys last year, and I expect more of the same in years to come.

D-backs benchwarmers

Diamondbacks' writer Steve Gilbert did his final installment today on the various aspects of this year's team. Today it was the bench. The big difference between this year's bench and last year's is evident: out with Tony Clark and in with Chris Burke.

Clark will of course be missed tremendously, but a guy like Burke gives the D-backs so much flexibility as a utility-man. He can play anywhere on the diamond except on the hill or behind the dish.

"He gives me tremendous flexibility, which is so important in the National League," Melvin said. "There are guys that can play a lot of positions, but he's a guy that plays them all well. When you play a lot of positions, it's tough to play them all well, but he does that. He can play shortstop and center field, which are two of the toughest positions out there."

Burke, a 27 year-old (will be 28 before spring training ends) from Louisville, Kentucky, is a career .249 hitter in his 3+ major league seasons. He seems to be a scrappy type of player...one that I guess should fit right in with this team.

Another key bench guy will be Jeff Salazar. Melvin especially likes the fact that since the starting outfielders are all right-handed hitting, that Salazar's left-handed bat will be good to mix in. He's certainly an above average defensive player as well, having not made an error yet in his brief 44 career games in the outfield.

Montero has fractured finger

The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro reported today that Miguel Montero has a fractured index finger on his right hand. D-back's GM Josh Byrnes gave his opinion on what it will mean in the near term.

“A foul tip fractured his right index finger,” Byrnes said. “So we’ll probably ease off on hitting early (in spring training). He should be OK for catching bullpens and throwing. But in the longer view, I don’t think it will spill into games. We might be a little conservative with how he swings a bat in the first week or two.”

I would think this would give longtime utility man Robby Hammock a better chance of making the opening day roster. But, it really depends on the progress of both Chad Tracy and Montero. If Montero is not ready, then it's a no-brainer that Hammock will get the nod. However, the acquisition of super utility man Chris Burke in the Valverde trade will severely hamper the likelihood of keeping Hammock up if Montero is able to go.

Snyder among best National League catchers

The Sporting News did their ranking of N.L. catchers recently, and actually quite surprisingly had the Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero combo rated 5th best. Here's their top 10:

1. Dodgers: Russell Martin/Gary Bennett
2. Braves: Brian McCann/Clint Sammons/Javy Lopez
3. Cardinals: Yadier Molina/Jason LaRue
4. Giants: Benjie Molina/Eliezer Alfonzo
5. D-backs: Chris Snyder/Miguel Montero
6. Mets: Brian Schneider/Ramon Castro
7. Rockies: Yorvit Torrealba/Chris Iannetta
8. Padres: Josh Bard/Michael Barrett
9. Cubs: Geovany Soto/Henry Blanco
10. Nationals: Paul Lo Duca/Johnny Estrada

Here was their assessment on the D-backs: "Snyder lacks mobility, but he has a strong arm and blocks pitches well. He also hits for power. Montero must prove he can hit in the majors."

I'd say that's fairly accurate.

As I had talked about earlier on predicting the D-back's lineup, Snyder really came around in the second half of last year to be one of the club's best hitters. If his offense can continue to improve to go along with his steady defense, he will soon be considered top 2 or 3 in the National League.

One thing you'll notice in the Sporting News top 10, is that all 5 N.L. West teams are included. Not bad for a division that's been crucified over the past few seasons for being so mediocre. Russell Martin clearly appears to be the best hitting catcher in the league, but his work behind the dish still leaves a bit to be desired.

D-backs spring preview

Official Diamondbacks' writer Steve Gilbert has a Spring Training preview today. Here are some of his predictions:

Projected Batting Order

1. Chris Young
   
2. Orlando Hudson
3. Conor Jackson
4. Eric Byrnes
5. Mark Reynolds
6. Stephen Drew
7. Justin Upton
8. Chris Snyder
   

Hmm....let's contrast that to the batting order that I proposed a week or so ago:

1. Stephen Drew
2. Chris Young
3. Conor Jackson
4. Chris Snyder
5. Eric Byrnes
6. Orlando Hudson
7. Justin Upton
8. Mark Reynolds
   

Ahh....so much in common...we both are big on Upton in that 7th spot...

Steve also mentions the D-backs promising prospects of Max Scherzer, Jarrod Parker, Gerardo Parra, and Esmerling Vasquez. Scherzer is the D-backs' top pitching prospect. The expectation is that Scherzer's outstanding job in the Arizona Fall League will land him a spot in Tucson this year the year, with an outside chance of making the big club.

As for possible turnaround performances from a year ago, Gilbert believes that Stephen Drew should fit that bill this upcoming year. While he did play quite well defensively last year, his offensive numbers could certainly be much higher this year. I agree that Drew has the ability to be a consistent .280 to .300 hitter at the big league level...not doubt about it. He really just needs to go out and play the game and not to think too much about it. After all, I have him pegged for the leadoff spot, so he can't let me down here ;-)

Lyon to be king of D-backs bullpen

Diamondbacks' skipper Bo Mel announced today that Brandon Lyon will be the one anchoring the bullpen in '08. So, that means that Tony Pena and newcomer Chad Qualls will be the setup guys. Melvin expressed an interest in declaring the roles prior to the start of spring training.

"We believe in defined roles," Melvin said. "Defining roles is significant. As we showed last year, it's nice to know that when the phone rings down there when you have to get up and what inning you have to prepare for."

I don't necessarily have an issue with the D-backs going with Lyon, but my only reservation is his durability. He started out that '05 season so strong in the closer role before falling to injury. He certainly has the makeup you want in a closer, and his 6-4 record and 2.68 ERA last year were easily the best of his career. I just hope that he is able to pace himself like he has done the past 2 years; not get too amped up for that role; and can maintain over the entire season. Otherwise, we'll either be looking at closer by committee, or more likely promoting Pena into the closer spot.

I had really felt like Pena would be the guy to close this year. Not so much because I believed in him more than the others, but because Lyon has been so effective in his role that you hate to lose that rock setup guy. My preference would be to have a 7th-8th-9th of Qualls-Lyon-Pena....I'm guessing we may see all combinations of those 3 before the season's over....

Bonifacio hoping for another D-backs callup

Courtesy mlb.com

Diamondback fans got a brief glimpse of Emilio Bonifacio late last year when he was called up in September. Glimpse being the operative word here, because Bonifacio was a flash on the base paths. Jesse Sanchez from MLB.com had a good piece today on him. Emilio is currently playing winter ball for the Licey Tigres in the Dominican Republic.

The D-back's front office is currently down in the D.R. checking out the organization's academy. Bo Mel made the comment that he believes Bonifacio can be a great everyday player given his speed and switch-hitting ability. The question however is at which position? Second base is his natural position, but with O-dog firmly in place there, and also having Augie Ojeda on the roster, it would seem his best chance would be the outfield.

So, if Hudson were to go down for any reason this year, Bonifacio would immediately be called up to take his spot (most likely from AAA Tucson). Short of that happening, I'm thinking he may be trade bait later this season.....hmm....maybe packaging Tracy and Bonifacio for a power hitter out there somewhere....

D-backs GM Byrnes On The Rise

Josh Byrnes is one of the young guns among MLB front offices these days. He doesn't always get mentioned with fellow GM's such as Theo Epstein and Mark Shapiro, but over the past 2 years Byrnes has done a magnificent job of making the right trades and grooming his youngsters on the farm. Given the restricted payroll he has to work with (about $60 million to start the season), Byrnes has more often that not been able to find the right guy at the right price, e.g. O-Dog and Doug Davis. While he was fortunate to inherit a farm system that was rich in talent when hired in October of 2005, knowing when to bring guys up and best utilize them is as much art as it is science, and Byrnes seems to have a knack for it.

The key going forward with these core group of players is to be patient, and to plug in here and there as necessary with veterans. It is a real shame to lose the presence of Tony Clark, but Byrnes made a business decision here and hopefully it works out. If it's like the majority of his previous moves, there's a good chance the D-backs will be hovering at the top of the N.L. West come October.

Spring Cleaning... D-backs style...

Futurebacks.com writes today about Who Will Bat Cleanup for the Diamondbacks. It was just yesterday that I proposed a 2008 order that had Chris Snyder in the cleanup spot. Futurebacks does a nice job of breaking down the lineup and explaining the pluses and minuses of each one in that spot. They believe that Chris Young and Justin Upton are the two that definitely have the most upside for power production, but not to expect them in the 4 hole too often this year, as both still have some work to do to get there. I certainly agree with that assessment. But for this year in particular, what about my man Chris Snyder?! No mention of him anywhere....well...I did say my lineup was a bit unconventional....