Diamondbacks, Cubs Agree To Deal

With Spring Training under way the Cactus League helped the Diamondbacks and Cubs come together and agree to a seven player deal on Wednesday.

The deal sends RF Jayson Werth and 2B D.J. LeMahieu to Chicago in exchange for a variety of prospects and 2B Brian Roberts. Werth had a very good season in 2013 after a sluggish start, but with the soon-to-be 35 year old's $9.1 million a year contract set to expire it was doubtful that Arizona would resign him. Werth has been on the wrong end of the OF depth chart during the offseason with CF Peter Bourjos and RF Domonic Brown filling his likely positions, this move seems to indicate that management is interested in giving LF Dayan Viciedo the starting job.

The centerpiece of the deal on the Diamondbacks side is SS Luis Sardinas, originally drafted by the Texas rangers, who is ranked as the #76th overall prospect by MLB.com. Sardinas was drafted in the same class as 2B/SS Jurickson Profar, but took slightly longer to develop, he has still impressed scouts and is only 20 years old. If things work out the Diamondbacks could have a solid 2B-SS combo with Chris Owings and Sardinas in the near future.

Is Sardinas the future at SS?

The remaining prospects featured two former Diamondbacks in RHP Jake Barrett and LHP Eury De La Rosa. With Matt Reynolds going down for the season and being released, the Diamondbacks desperately needed RP depth. Barrett had been rated behind fellow hard tossing RHP Matt Stites, but coming into this season most scouts put Barrett above Stites in the closer-of-the-future pecking order. De La Rosa is a poorly rated reliever who seems destined for a LOOGY role, not to say his skills will not be needed.

The final pieces of the deal were former Royals SS Orlando Calixte and comeback-minded 2B Brian Roberts. Calixte was of interest as Arizona looks to build MI depth in it's system, and Roberts was mostly thrown into the deal to balance team salaries ($8.0 million left) and serve as a back-up to the equally injury prone 2B Aaron Hill. Roberts has only managed 192 games in the past four years, with his 17 game 2012 season particularly worrisome, and hasn't been productive since 2009. If Hill suffers another injury setback and 2B Grant Green doesn't live up to expectations Roberts should get the call.

With Arizona's failure to sign an OF in free agency, a move that would have pushed Brown to LF, this looks like a risky move for the 2014 season. An injury to any of their starters would push utility OF Tony Campana or Ryan Raburn (another bloated expiring contract) into the starting lineup. The loss of LeMahieu also complicates this scenario, but it looks like Arizona's GMs are acutely aware that any injuries would scuttle their bid for an NL West title and probably end their season no matter what position is compromised.

Upton Shuns Diamondbacks, Returns To Cardinals

After a very lengthy negotiation process OF Justin Upton has opted to return to St. Louis. Upton, who made his MLB debut at 19, received interested from the Tigers, Brewers, and Diamondbacks before deciding on a four-year $64 million deal. Negotiations between Upton and the Diamondbacks continued for days, and reports are that Arizona had a three year $59.4 million deal on the table with a team option for a fourth. It's unclear if Upton was swayed by the guaranteed money or the legendary Cardinals charm, either way he leaves Diamondbacks fans disappointed.

Can Upton return to elite status?

Upton has been traded a number of times since being drafted by Arizona in 2005. He made his way to the Cardinals in 2012 when the Rays (who had acquired Upton from the Mariners in 2011) sent him to St. Louis in exchange for OF Carlos Gonzalez and 2011 1st round pick SP Tyler Goeddel.

Upton has shown flashes of being a truly elite player by posting 20-20 seasons in 2009 and 2011, but his past few seasons have been disappointing considering his level of talent. After starting the 2013 season with 12HR and a .298 average in the month of April, Upton stumbled and managed only 15HR for the rest of the season and ended with a .278 average after hitting well below .250 through May and June. While 27HR is a good total, it fell far below expectations after his incredible April. Upton also posted a career high in strike outs (161) and his first single digit SB total (8) since his first two years in the league.

Kevin Gregg, Diamondbacks Reach Deal

The Diamondbacks announced the signing of free agent RP Kevin Gregg today, a move that will help shore up their bullpen. Gregg, 35, received little interest on the open market after saving 33 games for Colorado in 2013.

Gregg has agreed to a two-year $1.2 million offer, and many assume he may retire before the end of the deal. Despite saving 177 games since 2007 only the Washington Nationals showed interest in the veteran reliever.

Arizona's GM spoke briefly about the signing on Thursday "We think Kevin [Gregg] is very underrated, and we have a staff full of young pitchers. If anything he's a veteran leader, and we have a proven back-up if Jim [Johnson] is injured."

Gregg is currently behind RP Joakim Soria and David Hernandez on the Diamondbacks depth chart.

Diamondbacks Ink Aaron Hill

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed their third player this offseason by coming to terms with 2B Aaron Hill. Hill has been up and down since having a stellar season in 2009 where he hit 36HR and drove in 108, winning his first Silver Slugger award. He seemed to bounce back in 2012 for the Braves, winning his second Silver Slugger, but injuries plagued his final season in Atlanta where he only played in 87 games.

Can Arizona fans expect 2012 Hill, or a 2013 disappointment?

The second base market this year was poor at best with Hill clearly headlining the group. Players like Mark Ellis (Orioles), Blake DeWitt (Royals), Ronnie Cedeno (Padres), and Clint Barmes (resigned with Padres) received little interest and signed quickly. The only players who received much interest outside of Hill were Omar Infante (Two years $9 million to Cleveland) and Emilio Bonifaco (Two years $7.2 million to the Giants), so Hill was in an excellent position to get the most out of free agency. Hill received interest from the Marlins, Rangers, and Braves, but in the end Atlanta dropped out and Hill agreed to a two-year $13.6 million deal. Hill had previously signed with Atlanta in 2011 for three years and $23.1 million, so Arizona may have landed a bargain.

Diamondbacks management was very happy to add Hill's bat to their lineup "at a position of concern" with DJ LeMahieu and rookie Grant Green currently manning 2B.

Can Green live up to his potential?

"We are excited to have Aaron join our organization, and we believe he has the potential to win a third Silver Slugger her in Phoenix. It's also a great opportunity for some of our younger players to learn under a veteran."

Hill's move to Chase Field should help him recover his award winning form as it has consistently outperformed Turner Field as a hitter's park (MLB Park Factor), especially in HRs.

Arizona Re-Signs Ian Kennedy

The Diamondbacks continued their free agent activity by bringing back Ian Kennedy. Kennedy had received offers from the Giants, Dodgers, Rangers, A's, and Mariners but ultimately decided to return to Arizona. The two parties agreed on a deal worth $13 million over two years that included a team option for a third year that could bring the total to $19.5 million.

Can Kennedy regain his 2011 form?

The 29 year old starting pitcher has spent most of his career in Arizona, and initially it looked like the Diamondbacks were going to let him go. The Arizona GMs spoke briefly about their decision to bring back Kennedy shortly after the deal was announced.

"We were going to let Ian go via free agency, but after we completed our review of our pitching staff we decided we needed him back. Our coaches like Jake [Arrieta] and Lucas [Harrell], but we really needed someone who can toss 180-200 innings and Ian is that guy. He has proven to be durable and we need that consistency to make it to the playoffs."

Kennedy projects to be the Diamondbacks #2 starter behind Gio Gonzalez, and the combination of the two could represent 400+ solid innings. Arizona has also announced the release of RP Sam Demel and RP Juan Gutierrez. The bullpen has become crowded recently with the return of Jim Johnson and the signing of Joakim Soria.

Diamondbacks Enter Free Agent Market

The Arizona Diamondbacks jumped into the free agent market after two weeks of inactivity to re-sign one of their own. After a few days of negotiations and fielding offers from other teams closer Jim Johnson agreed to a $23.4 million four year deal to return to Arizona. Johnson decided to test the market after a record setting stretch of two years, but the offers didn't materialize for the 30 year old reliever and he ultimately decided to take a longer contract over a higher annual salary. A number of teams expressed interest on two year deals, but Johnson did not want to risk hitting the market at 32. The return of Johnson and the addition of Joakim Soria via trade gives the Diamondbacks a chance to form a solid 1-2 punch at the end of games.

Can Johnson be the first to post three 50+ save seasons in a row?

After recording two consecutive seasons with 50 or more saves Jim Johnson made history as the second player in MLB history to do so. The first player was Eric Gagne (2002-2003), and he only managed one more season as an elite closer. The Diamondbacks seem to believe that Johnson will not follow Gagne's path to irrelevance, even though he has a similar pre-50 save season track record with only 21 saves in his previous five years of service time. At 30 years of age Arizona shouldn't be exposed with a four year deal, but if Johnson does follow Gagne they will be eating his contract  from 2015-17.

Diamondbacks 2013-2014 Offseason

It didn't take long after the end of the 2013 season for Managing General Partner Ken Kenwick to remove Kevin Towers as the acting GM. The Arizona Diamondbacks had enjoyed two consecutive trips to the playoffs thanks to the NL Wild Card, but this was not enough to satisfy fans and ownership. Win-now trades conflicted with build-for-the-future moves and drained Arizona's farm system while bringing in mediocre talent. The lack of direction and vision forced Kenwick to remove Towers and let a new GM stop the hemorrhaging before the next five years were lost to mismanagement.

Kenwick quickly called a press conference to announce the hiring of not one GM but two, an MLB first. Kenwick openly admitted that he had allowed Towers to take on too much and felt the pressure from fans to win, but he let Towers mortgage the future to do so. The new management tandem were introduced in front of a small crowd of local journalists at Chase Field, and were joined on the panel by Manager Kirk Gibson. A short statement was read before opening the panel to questions, most of which centered on their plans to rebuild the roster.

Gibson will need to show he can lead Arizona to an NL West title

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST OUTLOOK

The Diamondbacks will have to work fast to get to the top of the NL West, which figures to be a tough division in 2014. The team cannot lean on their current roster to return to the playoff, and they certainly are not a World Series team. Their biggest obstacle in 2014 and going forward will be the San Francisco Giants who have won the NL West two years in a row and converted those wins into NL Pennants. The Giants might lose 2013's most surprising player, Chris Davis, to free agency, but the strength of their roster lies in their dominant pitching staff. The addition of David Price and Alexi Ogando combined with the return of Madison Bumgarner, Rafael Soriano, and Sergio Romo make for an incredible starter-closer combo. Add in youngsters Julio Tehran and Jeff Samardzija and you have arguably the best rotation in the National League.

The San Diego Padres are most likely the best team behind the Giants, and have a real shot to keep Arizona from a third consecutive trip to the playoffs. The Padres hitters are the strength of their team with Miguel Montero, Jose Altuve, and Billy Butler at the core of their roster. If Arizona is going to come out on top they will need to out-hit the Padres, a difficult task even with their current talent.

WINTER TRADE WINDS

Arizona didn't wait very long to start working on their roster. A few weeks before Free Agency opened the Diamondbacks were able to work two separate trades with the Houston Astros. The first trade, probably the best move for the next few years, sent 2014 FA OF Dexter Fowler and former Astros C prospect Max Stassi (Now Houston's #18 ranked prospect) to Houston in exchange for former Cardinals prospect 1B Matt "Mailman" Adams. Arizona then started shedding contracts by sending high priced 2B Chase Utley to Houston in exchange for a package of prospects including C Michael Perez, OF Mark Krauss, RHP Ben Wells, and former Diamondbacks OF Tony Campana. The trades helped restock the farm system without costing too many major league starters, all good moves for the first time GMs. Arizona's shed more contracts by trading away RHP Phil Hughes for former Rays RHP Alex Colome, who may have some serious upside in the next few years. The last move, a minor trade, sent OF prospects Zoilo Almonte and Julio Morban to Minnesota in exchange for Joakim "The Mexicutioner" Soria. Soria has a chance to close, but even if he doesn't end up the closer he should be a solid addition to the bullpen. All of Arizona's moves managed to avoid Towers' previous follies which cost them elite talent like 3B Evan Longoria, LHP Clayton Kershaw, and most painfully OF Wil Myers.

Arizona's newest players

ARIZONA FREE AGENCY PREVIEW

The Diamondbacks to not figure to be big players in the 2013-2014 Free Agency market despite having a decent amount of cap space available to them. Moving Utley ($15.2 million) and Hughes ($4.8 million) help free up quite a bit of cap space, but the available cash will most likely be used to fill holes in the current roster. Arizona's most notable free agent is RHP Jim Johnson, which leaves them without a closer, but management will likely be aggressive in resigning him. The biggest holes in the current roster are at 2B and 3B, but the market is very shallow at those positions with Evan Longoria and David Wright headlining those available. Arizona is not likely to pony up the cash needed to land either of these, so another year of 3B Lonnie Chisenhall is likely. DJ LaMahieu is not the long tern solution at 2B, but the market is so putrid that management is likely to wait on the development of prospects like SS Chris Owings and 2B/SS Grant Green.

The trade of Dexter Fowler initially left an opening at CF, but the addition of Matt Adams moved Domonic Brown from DH to RF and Peter Bourjos to the starting lineup. Jayson Werth looks to be the odd man out, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season the Diamondbacks will probably trade him to a contender for prospects, but for now he is a very solid spot starter. With Dayan Viciedo firmly at LF, it doesn't look like the Diamondbacks will be all that interested in an OF unless they see a bargain that would push Adams to the bench. With C, 1B, SS, DH, and all three OF positions occupied it's doubtful that they will spend any money at those positions.

Can Bourjos' bat be as good as his glove?

The one place Arizona might make a bigger move for the right player is at SP. Gio Gonzalez and Patrick Corbin anchor the Diamondbacks rotation with Trevor Cahill and Henderson Alvarez filling out the third and fourth starter slots. Lucas Harrell and Jake Arrieta are very replaceable, and if Colome isn't ready for 2014 look for the new GMs to find someone better.

PROJECTED 2014 ROSTER (WINTER)

C - Carlos Santana
1B - Paul Goldschmidt
2B - DJ LaMahieu
SS - JJ Hardy
3B - Lonnie Chisenhall
LF - Dayan Viciedo
CF - Peter Bourjos
RF - Domonic Brown
DH - Matt Adams

SP - Gio Gonzalez
SP - Patrick Corbin
SP - Trevor Cahill
SP - Henderson Alvarez
SP - Lucas Harrell
RP - Joakim Soria
RP - Matt Reynolds
RP - David Hernandez
RP - Jordan Norberto