Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It’s no secret that the Arizona Diamondbacks are a struggling franchise.
In both 2012 and 2013, the team ended the year with a .500 record. Last season, the club posted the worst record in the majors. As a result, manager Kirk Gibson, bench coach Alan Trammell and General Manager Kevin Towers were all fired by Chief of Baseball Operations Tony La Russa.
Since then, the Diamondbacks have brought in new skipper Chip Hale, former Oakland A’s bench coach, and hired Dave Stewart as GM, former pitcher under La Russa during his Oakland days, to help rejuvenate the sinking franchise. Still, even with the organizational changes, the Diamondbacks are a team led by young and mostly unknown talent. While restructuring the backbone of the organization was key, it’s time for La Russa and the Diamondbacks to utilize this young squad to its full potential.
The 2015 season is beginning with a healthy Diamondbacks core, something they missed gravely the majority of last year. The offensive might of Arizona revolves around Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and Mark Trumbo.
In 2014, both Goldschmidt and Pollock suffered broken hands, while Trumbo was sidelined for months with a fractured foot. It is these three that the club needs to build around. While Aaron Hill and Cody Ross are the team’s veterans, both are reaching an injury-riddled back end of their careers.
Moving these parts would clear up a pretty convoluted positional debate. There are several players deserving of their shot at the Opening Day roster. The clogged outfield is currently occupied by Trumbo, Pollock and David Peralta, who is following an impressive rookie season with a red-hot spring, batting .364.
Also, Ender Inciarte is following his stellar rookie campaign hitting .360 with four steals in Cactus League play. Does Ross deserve to be involved in platoon with Peralta and the speedy Inciarte? Only managing to appear in 177 games and swinging a .265 average in two seasons should answer the question. His injuries and $9.5 mil payout seem more as a hindrance than a benefit for a club that lost 98 games last season.
The real problem in the clogged outfield could arise on the diamond, however. With Yasmany Tomas struggling this spring at the adjustments to third base, it opens the door for top prospect Jake Lamb to take his place at the hot corner. Lamb’s defense is exponentially better than the Cuban slugger’s. His bat can also answer questions to whether he belongs in the majors.
With the Diamondbacks spending top dollar on Tomas, it’s unlikely he’ll be sent to the minors to fine-tune his defense. Where does that put him? In the outfield, unfairly sending Peralta to ride the pine, and Inciarte to unlikely see playing time at all. If the club is unwilling to send Tomas to Triple-A, that leaves one option: trading Aaron Hill.
Hill is entering his fifth season in Sedona red, with each of the last four resulting in a decline of offensive production. Sending the 10-year veteran to another club would open up the diamond, with the only rock being Goldschmidt at first base. With Hill absent at second, this would send Chris Owings to man the middle and Arizona to utilize Tomas’ and Lamb’s bats at third and shortstop respectively. This move would sacrifice defense, but it would also allow a great training ground for a club trying to find its footing again.
With Hill traded and Ross suffering a similar fate, it would allow the Diamondbacks to fully exploit their young talent. A roster with David Peralta, Jake Lamb, A.J. Pollock, Ender Inciarte and Tuffy Gosewisch lacks sex appeal, but it doesn’t lack big bats and athleticism. Plus, Arizona almost lost 100 games last season. What does it have to lose?
