Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart tells Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com that the organization is “not giving up” despite a dismal start to the year. He did acknowledge that “the signs are not real good right now,” though. And in suggesting that the team thinks there’s a chance A.J. Pollock could return by September, Stewart added, somewhat ominously: “Hopefully, we’re still in it.”
Here are some more notes from the column:
- When asked whether the Brewers would consider dealing shortstop Jonathan Villar this summer, GM David Stearns suggested it would be unlikely. “We are looking to acquire players like that,” he said. It’s been quite a turnaround for the 25-year-old since he followed Stearns from the Astros to Milwaukee. Over 250 plate appearances, Villar owns a .306/.405/.450 batting line with a league-leading 22 steals. Better still, he’ll likely fall shy of Super Two status next year, so there’s plenty of cheap control remaining.
- The Mets haven’t tried to open extension talks with either Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom, per Heyman. It seems the same holds true of Matt Harvey, who is further ahead in service time, with a source telling Heyman that the star righty is highly unlikely to be retained past his arb eligibility. It is a bit surprising to learn, though, that the team hasn’t at least looked into whether there might be a bargain to be had amongst the pre-arb righties — deGrom in particular, since he is somewhat older and might be more willing to settle for a team-friendly rate.
- The Yankees, meanwhile, won’t sell in the near-term, but will reconsider in the run-up to the trade period. That’s not surprising to hear; the team is, after all, still treading water in the division.
- While the Blue Jays don’t have any inclination to part with John Gibbons at present, Heyman suggests it’s unlikely he’ll be retained past the present season. A “huge year” could change that, though.
- The Nationals dabbled with the idea of upgrading over Wilson Ramos over the winter, but decided against it — or, at least didn’t find a deal to their liking. That’s turned out to be wise in retrospect, as the big Venezuelan is off to a notable start at the plate: .345/.392/.554 with eight home runs and just 21 walks against 13 strikeouts over 181 plate appearances. The pending free agent remains an interesting player to watch the rest of the way.
Is it safe to say yet that the dbacks should be embarrassed about the Miller-Swanson trade?
No, not until Swanson has actually done anything in the bigs.
Seems you are forgetting Aaron Blair and Ender Inciarte too. It is very early but there are more factors involved in determining value besides just Miller and Swanson.
Well considering Aaron Blair has been worse (or at least, as bad) than Shelby Miller this year, he probably doesn’t count for much just yet. Inciarte is not exactly setting the world on fire either.
This just isn’t true. Blair has been bad, but Miller has been a dumpster fire.
How Swanson pans out isn’t relevant. They gave up way too much value, value that could have been used for multiple upgrades.
Value is a 100% subjective term. What is valuable to one team is not to another. For example, the Rockies might not value a young pitcher with a great curve ball as highly as the Red Sox due to the lack of break in high altitude. The Red Sox might not value a speedy left fielder due to playing in the smallest left field in the league, but the Rockies would value him significantly higher due to their immense outfield.
The Diamondbacks took three pieces that they didn’t deem necessary for their team and got one piece that they did deem necessary. The people that run the Diamondbacks are not really idiots. Dave Stewart knows baseball and especially his team a whole lot better than you and me combined. Yeah it looks like the trade might be a mistake, but it has just been two months. You can’t accurately judge a trade until several years down the line.
Since Aaron Blair has pitched as badly as Miller has it’s a sunk cost at this point. For instance, they could have kept Blair to get the same production, have Inciarte to cover for the Pollock injury, and still have Swanson. They could also look to improve during the trade deadline by shopping Swanson for whatever they need.
Since the Braves just have Miller and not Inciarte or Swanson it’s a loss for the Dbacks at this point.
Ray is correct. Different needs. Plus, it sometimes takes a while to judge a trade, FA signing or draft pick. Will Swanson be a stud or a dud? Who knows? Maybe Miller comes back off the DL and turns it around.
Other front offices would have given up more than Shelby Miller for the package the D-Backs were offering, according to multiple sources. So, in that sense, the trade was definitely a loss for Arizona. Comparing Blair, who is a rookie starter going through the normal pains of being a rookie, to Miller, who is a veteran pitcher is a bad comp.
For the same 3 players, they could have probably gotten Gray, Garrett Richards, Carrasco, Salazar, Matz, Tyson Ross, heck maybe even Chris Archer. Thats where the Dbacks messed up. Could have gotten a much better piece than Miller. But as a Braves fan, im glad they went with Miller.
It never takes time to judge a trade. That is just using hindsight. Evaluation of trades should be done at the time they are made, with the information available at that time.
If you want to argue that maybe arizona has some information about miller t hat the rest of the world doesn’t, that makes sense. However, after getting miller and breaking him, it’d seem that they were probably just wrong and overpaid like everyone said they did.
Why do people say this? none of those pitchers were for sale this is not a super market you can not buy stuff that is not for sale this isn’t a video game.
Pretty sure the indians had discussions with the cubs about carrassco/salazar, so I’m not sure how true that is.
And even if you are right, and they were not, then the dbacks should have just kept their pieces. They did not need to overpay for a pitcher.
Most teams would listen if Arizona would have come to them with that package, Everyone (Including Trout, and Kershaw) can be had for the right package.
No GM changes his plans on the whim of a trade offer with the exception of maybe Preller, those teams were all set on contending trading their best pitcher was not going to happen, and the Indians came out and said they are not moving any of their cost controlled pitchers. You think you are smarter than La Russa and Stewart but you aren’t you have to have a huge ego to think they didn’t check around first.
I dont think I’m smarter than Stewart, although I do believe he is the least qualified GM in baseball. I do believe the Rays would have listened and maybe worked something out if the Dbacks offered the same package for Archer. Its how they have to do business.
If they checked around, and that was the asking price for Shelby Miller-types, then they should’ve stood pat and kept Inciarte. Miller was never worth this type of haul from the getgo. Have you listened to Dave Stewart? I do not think it’s at all a stretch to believe a lot of people are smarter than him. His comments on Miller – “The guy was traded for Jason Heyward just last year, and he’s gonna get 200 million, so I think we got a good deal” – and others are asinine. How he values draft picks as nothing and then says they can’t upgrade because they need to save prospects is contradictory. They shelled out too much of their prospect capital for Jean Segura and Shelby Miller, and now they’re stuck, and that’s their own fault. Greinke was an overpay, although a deal I don’t blame them for making too much since he’s an actual bona-fide ace. Miller was a disastrous trade, Segura was a mediocre one, and the Arroyo/Touissant deal was dumb too, IMO. I absolutely don’t think they checked around too much. If they came calling the Mets and offered that deal or something similar for Matz, I’d think the Mets would’ve bit at it, and I would not have been upset. I’d rather have Matz for the next few years than Miller.
I doubt the Mets would have taken that deal for Matz, as they loved his stuff and he is a lefty. That doesn’t take away from the fact it was an extreme overpay for Miller, whom I wouldn’t have traded straight up for Matz last year, let alone this year. Miller is who he is…..a solid #3. It’s a shame that he is going to be dogged for years to come about not living up to a top end #2 package.
To the guy who said teams value players differently, of course they do. However the total value of the package is not just what each player means to a team at the ml level, as assets have an essential defined value. You can use the acquired assets in a package for something you value more at the ml level. Dave Stewart’s comment after the deal said it all. They heard the marlins offer for fernandez, got the braves on the phone and went with that, they didn’t shop around this package. It certainly would have netted them blake snell and Alex Cobb.
Dave Stewart knows baseball you say? Hahaha
I hope the Braves go after Ramos but who knows they probably will sign a pitcher to be the catcher, and they will have a pitcher be 3rd base and a pitcher be the bat boy and a pitcher will be the pop corn vender.
You forgot to say that those pitchers will have gone thru TJ surgery.
It’s not gibby’s fault that his team is underperforming this year. He has about two relievers he can trust and ones a rule 5 pick.
Think the bit on Ramos should say 21 K, 13 BB not the other way around.