Our NL West Ten Questions series concludes with Jim McLennan of AZ SnakePit. Enjoy...
1. Who is the ace of the Diamondbacks' staff? I know it's a rather subjective term, but do you think they have someone they can rely on and call an "ace"?
I don't think the team has a bona-fide ace, in the same sense they did when Brandon Webb or even Dan Haren played for Arizona. But in Daniel Hudson and Ian Kennedy, they have a very solid 1-2 punch. Hudson was phenomenally impressive for us, after coming over from the White Sox, and while I'm not expecting a sub-two ERA for the whole season, his potential is certainly ace-like.
2. Many people have said that the Diamondbacks will finish in last place in the NL West this year...Do you think the Diamondbacks will outperform their expectations in 2011?
Where Arizona finishes depends as much on the other teams, obviously! Will the Padres implode, having lost their only true offensive threat? Will the ongoing McCourt saga affect the Dodgers - they had the worst record in the division after the break last year. That said, the D-backs were last by 15 games in 2010, so are clearly favorites to three-peat in this area. It wouldn't necessarily bother me, as long as I saw the team moving in the right direction. Anything in the high 70's for wins and I'd consider the year a success, and something to build on going forward.
3. The Diamondbacks' bullpen was a major weakness in 2010...do you think it's going to be significantly better next year?
Well, it can hardly be any worse. Can it? Someone please reassure me on that front, will you? I think the signing of JJ Putz as closer was great: it may have been our best move of the winter, and should give the rest of the team a strong anchor on which they can build. It's almost completely revamped, with some of the worst culprits e.g. Chad Qualls, no longer part of the team. I'd be happy with them simply being league-average.
4. Who will be the starting first baseman for the Diamondbacks in 2011? Is there a specific player, or will it be a combination of guys (i.e. Nady/Allen/Miranda/Blum)?
Former Yankees prospect Juan Miranda seems to have the inside line on the regular position at the moment. He was largely blocked by Mark Teixeira in New York, so we'll see what he can do. We do have alternatives, in Brandon Allen and possibly Xavier Nady, if Miranda falters - one of the notable things about the roster construction has been that we now have a lot of players who can play multiple positions.
5. Do you think the Diamondbacks should consider trading Stephen Drew or Justin Upton?
Upton isn't going anywhere, unless we get a really insane offer for him [and I'm talking two or three top-grade prospects]. Stephen Drew just signed a contract to cover his last two arbitration years, and he is a Scott Boras client, so there might be a temptation for Arizona to deal him, working on the assumption that there is no way he can be retained after free-agency. However, it's not as if we have an immediate replacement at this point. If the team doesn't think they can compete in 2011 either, look for them to pull the trigger and get a return.
6. Overall, how does the Diamondbacks' farm system look? It seems that, while not necessarily bad, it comes nowhere near the amazing system they had back in 2006..
Definitely improved - Keith Law ranked it 13th last week, up from 27th a year ago. Mostly, that's as a result of a plethora of high picks in the 2009 draft. We also have two of the first seven this year, having not signed Barret Loux - I think that will work in our favor, as this year's crop of talent looks to be stronger. I think we have a solid system now, but it's mostly at the lower depths. Outside of #1 prospect Jarrod Parker, I don't expect much help from it in 2011.
7. What are your thoughts on the Mark Reynolds trade?
Ask me again about that one at the end of the year. It's possible his batting average might bounce back, and certainly, his power has not been replaced on the roster and will be sadly missed. However, his struggles last year were often painful to watch, and his contract gets more expensive going forward, so he could become almost impossible to trade if 2011 proves as rough. He was always one of my favorite D-backs, however, so I was sorry to see him go, just on a fan basis. He hit some of the most majestic long-balls I've ever seen.
8. After a fantastic 2009 season, Justin Upton saw a decline in his power numbers and his batting average. Do you think he'll bounce back to all-star form in 2011?
One important thing to remember: Upton was only 22 for the great majority of last season. He was hitting major-league pitching at a decent clip (.273), at an age when most players are barely out of A-ball. I think this year's model will be closer to the 2009 version, and possibly even better still. The best is certainly yet to come for Upton, and I think he's probably the Diamondback most likely to represent the team on home-turf for this year's All-Star Game in Arizona.
9. What are your thoughts on Kirk Gibson as a manager?
He's definitely a lot more 'old school' than AJ Hinch, and has already banned "toys" like iPads from the clubhouse immediately before games. Hard to get much of a bead on him beyond that: I tend to think that 90% of in-game decisions more or less make themselves, and doubt how much impact they really have. It's mostly man-management: and there, well, I don't know about the players, but Gibson certainly put the fear of God in me!
10. How do you like Kevin Towers as a GM, compared to Josh Byrnes?
Much the same goes for Towers; he seems more 'old-school' than Byrnes, but does have a tremendous amount of experience, and did well in his time with San Diego, which was also on a moderate budget. He does seem to have a plan, even though I might not agree with it [to me, the declining veterans like Melvin Mora and Willie Bloomquist should be left well off the roster]. For me, the litmus test will be the draft: two picks in the first seven is basically unprecedented, and it we can't afford to sign both of our picks, or go cheap with one of them, I'll be assembling a mob with pitchforks and torches.
I'd just like to thank Jim McLennan for generously participating in this. Be sure to visit AZ Snakepit. I'm very humbled by the fact that I've been able to get such intelligent and insightful bloggers for this Ten Questions: NL West series, and all four of them did an outstanding job.
