It was a big day for the Diamondbacks: after announcing major front office changes, the club has all but clinched the league’s worst record, as Steve Gilbert of MLB.com notes (Twitter links). The only way they’d fall to the second pick would be if they were to sweep the Cardinals this weekend, with the Rockies in turn being swept by the Dodgers. It’s highly likely that Arizona will hold the first overall pick in next year’s amateur draft, providing an early test for chief baseball officer Tony La Russa and newly-minted GM Dave Stewart.
Here’s more from the west:
- Padres manager Bud Black indicated that he expects changes to the club’s array of position players, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell reports. “We were pretty set, and I think that’s definitely changed this year,” said Black. “I don’t know whether uncertain is the word. But I do think there will be some roster construction more so than last year.” It will be interesting to see how newly-minted GM A.J. Preller attacks his first offseason. If this season’s results are any indication, while the rotation is in solid shape, improving the offensive output may require new acquisitions.
- The Astros intend to be quiet, careful, and thorough in their managerial hunt, writes Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. GM Jeff Luhnow is not necessarily seeking someone more malleable or numbers-focused than deposed skipper Bo Porter, according to Drellich, but rather someone more “relatable.” One of the possible candidates, Diamondbacks Triple-A manager Phil Nevin, is set for an interview after receiving clearance from the Arizona organization, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports.
- Angels owner Arte Moreno covered a lot of ground in an interesting interview with Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Moreno said that he is committed to winning a championship, emphasizing the financial health of the organization and how that has supported the team’s significant spending. Saying that the team carries no debt and operates at a profit, Moreno indicated that he has no intentions of selling his valuable ownership stake — though he said that he would take an objective, businesslike approach if contacted by an interested buyer.
dwarfstar
The Diamondbacks get the #1 overall pick in 2015, should have been the Rangers after the season that they have endured!!
DarthMurph
No it shouldn’t have.
Mike C. 2
The Dbacks have been hammered with injuries too
Seamaholic
Rockies as much or more than either of them. All three of the worst teams in the bigs are probably MUCH better than their records, and could have a dramatic turnaround next year.
Mike C. 2
I don’t believe the Rockies have been hurt more than either of them but I do believe all three teams could have a turnaround next year.
Seamaholic
If there’s a team that’s had worse injury luck than the Rockies this year, wow, I’d like to see it. Besides missing all four of their best position players (Cargo, Tulo, Cuddyer, Arenado) for huge chunks of the season, they’re on I believe their 16th starting pitcher. 16! And all but two of the 16 were killed off by injury (the other two went to the pen). That’s just ridiculous.
davengmusic
Why doesn’t Luhnow just go down to the dugout and manage the team? If all he’s looking for is a “yes” man, then he could just do it himself, save money on hiring a manager, and no one’s going to question his decisions. I’ve supported Luhnow’s decisions in the past, and maybe this one won’t be any big deal later on, but right now, it’s an unnecessary circus.
tesseract
This is a cool idea. Although it would never happen
Pete Harnisch
There are plenty of managers with backgrounds in economics and engineering, right?