Though much of the heavy lifting for the Diamondbacks has been accomplished this winter by adding both Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller to the fold, GM Dave Stewart tells the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro that he still hopes to add another bat. “We did give away a certain amount of offense with Inciarte,” said Stewart in reference to Ender Inciarte, whom the D-backs sent to the Braves as part of the package to acquire Miller. “I’m not by any means thinking that (Yasmany) Tomas isn’t capable of giving us back what we lost, it’s just he didn’t prove that last year. Just to be sure, I wouldn’t mind adding a little more offense.”
The D-backs didn’t reach out to Daniel Murphy’s representatives before the longtime Met signed a three-year deal with the Nationals, but they’ve been in touch with Howie Kendrick’s representatives, Stewart tells Piecoro. However, the GM didn’t sound optimistic about the chances of getting something done, telling Piecoro: “I just don’t know how far we’re going to get down the road with that.” Piecoro notes that, in particular, Stewart sounded reluctant to surrender a second draft pick to add a free agent after already forefeiting his first pick in next year’s draft to sign Greinke.
Arizona has been linked to second base upgrade on more than one occasion this winter, as the team was also said to have discussed a swap that would’ve sent Aaron Hill to Cincinnati in exchange for Brandon Phillips. That deal would’ve saved the Reds some money on Phillips’ contract while giving the D-backs a boost in the infield, but a source tells Piecoro that Arizona wasn’t comfortable with the amount of Phillips’ 2017 salary that Cincinnati wanted the D-backs to assume. (There’s also the case of whether Phillips would’ve waived the no-trade protection that comes with his full 10-and-5 rights; he reportedly declined to do so when approached about a trade to the Nationals.)
The infield would seem like a logical spot to upgrade the offense after Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings both failed to provide meaningful offense in 2015, but Stewart said that the club has “every reason to believe” that Owings will “definitely” rebound in 2016 after being slowed by a problematic shoulder in 2015 and wouldn’t rule out adding an extra outfielder to the mix instead. As for Ahmed’s offense, I’d imagine the team isn’t as concerned with how much he does or doesn’t produce given his outstanding defense at shortstop (+20 DRS, +16.1 UZR/150). Stewart did leave open the possibility that the team could “go out and get a guy who is a proven offensive player and try to add him to the mix somewhere,” and, certainly, Kendrick would seem to fit that description.
The bullpen also remains a need for Arizona, but Stewart tells Piecoro that the price of acquiring relief help on the trade market is too high at this point, especially after already depleting his farm system by trading a pair of Top 100 prospects — Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair — to Atlanta in the Miller trade. Piecoro writes that some combination of Enrique Burgos, Evan Marshall, Silvino Bracho and Jake Barrett could be leaned upon to complement the likes of Brad Ziegler, Daniel Hudson, Andrew Chafin, Randall Delgado and Josh Collmenter in the bullpen. From my vantage point, that would leave manager Chip Hale without much in the way of quality left-handed relief pitching, so there certainly seems to be reason to believe that the Snakes could add some left-handed bullpen arms, be it on the free-agent market or the trade market. There are a number of low-cost lefty relievers on the market that could provide some value on one-year deals or even minor league pacts.
I was thinking they could try to get Andrew Miller from the Yankees if he is still available and maybe the yanks throw in Headley too for a couple guys from Arizona, the two teams have a good track record of trades the past few years
Why would a team “throw in” their starting 3rd baseman?
Arizona has Jake lamb, Brandon Drury, phil gosselin and Aaron hill at thirds. I’m sure if they were to pull a trade involving Headley and Miller, Lamb or Drury would head to NY plus Headley has been below average in a park he should be hitting very well at, that’s why they would “throw him in” to get a bigger return
Yeah, that makes no sense. Give up an established 3B that you know and signed for years for an uncertain player at the same position. If that was the case, they would have kept Jag.
When proposing a trade, try to look at it from both sides… not just one. Yankees can get value back for Miller without including Headley. And they’re trying to win a championship, so trading their starting 3rd baseman makes no sense.
Like, at all.
I did look at it from both sides, Arizona gets a Shut down closer and the offensive player they want to add to the lineup that can play first and third, and send New York chase Anderson, Socrates Brito, Jake lamb and maybe a young bullpen arm in locante or stites. In my mind helps both sides, the Yankees move Miller who they seem desperate to move for whatever reason and move the third basemen who hasn’t hit for them and they get younger at third with lamb who hits from the left side in a park favoring lefties. Get a young outfielder to keep in either the minors or spell their forever aging outfield, young arms for the pen and a young (ish) starter in Anderson for depth because you can never have enough starting pitching, no need to attack someone for a thought because that’s all it was, a suggestion
Okay so first of all, I’d like to point out that Chase Headley has preformed very poorly in New York, much less of what people expect. Second of all, no reason to attack someone for an idea, we all have them.
My idea was simply
Diamondbacks get- Andrew Miller, Chase Headley
Yankees get- Chase Anderson, Jake Lamb, Socrates Brito, Will Locante and maybe another bullpen arm
The diamond backs get a shutdown closer and another bat to the bench who can play multiple positions and be an upgrade from Aaron Hill.
The Yankees get younger at third with a lefty bat in a park that favors lefties. Unproven? Yes but I see him as a better alternative to Headley who’s aging. They also get a younger outfielder to spell the aging outfielders they have now and give them depth in the OF for the future, Chase Anderson gives them a young (ish) pitcher for depth in the rotation and you can never have to much starting pitching while the yankees also add to the bullpen which never hurts either. And Since they just shipped off a good third base prospect getting one from Arizona doesn’t hurt either. Like I said, just a thought.
The only way Miller goes to the dbacks is for Archie Bradley.
I don’t think Arizona will part with him or shipley after trading Blair
I still hate the horrific downgrade of Inciarte to Tomas for them. Maybe a Parra return to platoon with him?
I can’t believe they got rid of Inciarte.
Why not get Markakis, Bourn and Swisher from the Braves making an OF of Peralta, Pollock and Markakis with Bourn and Swisher as backups plus Swisher to back up first and two LH bench bats. Also get Erick Aybar from the Braves to play SS or Third Base. Going back to the Braves would be Thomas (63 million owed), Drury (expendable and not really much) and Braden Shipley (Braves dig the prospect pitcher). This would improve the outfield, infield and bench while clearing misspent 63mil for future years.
You want Markakis, Bourn, Swisher and Aybar in exchange for Tomas, Drury and Shipley?
Are you a Braves fan?
Aybar is a below average hitter, Markakis forgot what a homerun is, Swisher and Bourn are awful contracts plus thats way too much money for the D”Backs to take on.
Then you want all of that mediocrity in exchange for 2 valuable prospects and Tomas?
My thoughts exactly, I’m a Braves fan, and even with my homerism lol, there’s no way the Diamondbacks do that deal…
1. Swisher and Born have next to zero trade value right now…
2. While Markakis does have some slight value, the best the Braves could hope for is someone like Bubba Starling…A once hyped prospect who has fallen off radars recently…
3. Aybar has some value as well, but not nearly enough to get much in return except maybe a bullpen prospect right now…
If each of these veterans has decent seasons, up until the trade deadline, then the Braves can start to trade them away for a decent return…
But that return will likely still be mediocre at best, definitely not worth the talent Tomas possibly has, much less two valuable prospects like Drury and Shipley…
The D-Backs will hold onto Drury and Shipley for at the very least a much better return than a bunch of secondary pieces and an average RF’er…
Not to mention, they still have a big investment in Tomas, their Front Office does not want to admit they made a mistake by trading him this early…Especially since he still may find his way to success at the ML level…
To cap it off, not a chance, sorry man…wishful thinking though..
Eric Aybar could be had. I believe these front offices have hooked up on a couple of trades recently so they won’t have to scout much.
What about a trade for Cubs Chris Coghlan? The Cubs don’t really have a place for him, a prospect like Brandon Shipey or Zack Godley should be enough to get Chris Coghlan and then Coghlan is a free agent, but so is Aaron Hill and that frees up money for them to sign a 2B maybe they will re-sign Coghlan.
No way do they send Shipley off for one year of a mediocre bat. He represents the one lone pitching prospect that appears to be on track to be an impactful 2016 arm.. Given the remaining options, and the fact that they are still being cheap when examining offensive upgrades, their best options may be in-house right now, with some sort of move made once the season begins to unfold.
That’s pretty counter-intuitive to how they began the offseason, but it is where they are now. It’s almost like they went out and made the big moves, but then they scared themselves and so now they are trying to go conservative the rest of the way.
Shipley for Coghlan doesn’t seem that bad. If you’re going all in. Might as well go all the way in right?
2B, 3B and SS could all be offensive upgrades. I do think though that the dbacks have enough offense at the other positions to make up for the average to below average offense in the infield. Lamb and drury also have decent ceilings in the infield
I’d see if Zach Britten is pry-able from the Orioles. Maybe offer Tomas and Zach Godley as a starting point. Tomas would be much better suited in the AL (so he can DH part of the time) and the Orioles need a corner-outfield bat.
Dbacks would do that in a heartbeat imo. Then sign Parra to go with Brito.
I will drive Headley there, if you take him off our hands!
What about Drury, couldn’t he add some offense??
Or is he not ready??
Haven’t followed him much lately, but he was a solid performer after coming over from the Braves in the Upton deal…
Wonder what the D-Backs would think of Erick Aybar, Nick Swisher, MIchael Bourn, and Nick Markakis for Yasmani Thomas, Brandon Drury, and Braden Shipley.
I don’t know, wonder what the Braves would think of Aaron hill, Socrates Brito, Gerald Laird, Josh Collimenter, Tuffy Gosewisch, and Jordan Pacheco for Freddie Freeman, Sean Newcomb, Julio Teheran.
Don’t see any talent from the DBacks side of the deal, so probably would not think much.
I’m pretty positive he was being sarcastic bud…He was implying that you are trying to trade away bunch of spare parts and expecting to get a sizeable return…
Although his scenario was more outlandish, but I think that was just to drive home the point of his sarcasm…
Are you kidding me trademeister I’m a huge Braves fan and the stuff you are proposing is beyond stupid. Let’s just see if we can get pollack goldy and Archie Bradley for swisher Bourn and markakis seems fair too me?
No
Freeman is not going anywhere… And if even if he was, the Braves would not go for less than a top 20 prospect. And that is just for Freeman, not anybody else… Teheran and Newcomb alone would be a huge haul. So basically what I am saying is you can keep smoking your pipe while the rest of us will discuss trades that could actually happen.
Oh
Omg cheiftoto ur right! I forgot the dbacks already have a decent first baseman. They wouldn’t want freeman.
And I do have a prescription for that by the way.