Diamondbacks face questions as they head into Spring Training
Joey Commins - March 12th, 2008Joey Cummins
The Lumberjack
Spring training is in full swing and with opening day just a couple of weeks away it’s time to talk a little baseball.
The Diamondbacks are coming off a very surprising season that ended with a disappointing sweep courtesy of the Colorado Rockies in the National League Championship Series.
The D-Backs have to enter the 2008 season as the favorites to repeat as NL West champs, with the addition of a top-tier pitcher in Dan Haren to replace Livan Hernandez and the fact that all of Arizona’s young position players are not only a year older but also experienced playoff success. Justin Upton, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, Chris Young, and Conor Jackson are all capable of putting up huge numbers. Manager Bob Melvin proved he knew the right button to push last season, using 146 different starting lineups last season. While it clearly worked, here’s hoping for some more uniformity this year.
Bob, if you’re reading this, go with this lineup: 1. Chris Young, 2. Orlando Hudson, 3. Stephen Drew, 4. Eric Byrnes, 5. Conor Jackson, 6. Mark Reynolds. 7. Justin Upton, 8. Chris Snyder, 9. Pitcher (unless Micah Owings pitches. Melvin has said he plans to hit him seventh which I think is a great idea).
There are a few question marks heading into the season. The D-Backs need a consistent power hitter that is going to hit 30+ home runs and drive in 100+ RBIs. The four young hitters I talked about earlier all have it in them but who will step up?
Will Randy Johnson be able to stay healthy and help out the D-Backs rotation? Definitely a big if, but keep your fingers crossed.
Also, don’t underestimate the loss of Tony Clark; he was a great part-time player, above average at defense and a clubhouse leader.
Also, with the loss of Papa Grande, will Brandon Lyon be able to step in and close out games for the D-Backs? While Lyon doesn’t have the filthy stuff that Valverde has, he is craftier and will prove to be more reliable.
Elsewhere in the NL West, the Rockies will try to show that last year wasn’t a fluke, which I think they were, but they should still challenge the D-Backs for the NL West crown. So will the Dodgers with Joe Torre at the helm and Andruw Jones roaming the outfield, and the Padres are always in the hunt for a playoff spot. The D-Backs and the rest of the NL West won’t need to worry about the Giants, but win or lose, the Giants should be happy that they are finally rid of Barry Bonds. Don’t be surprised if he ends up playing for the New York Mets.
Some teams to watch out for in 2008:
-Detroit: With the additions of Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria, they have the best lineup in baseball 1-9; combine that with the addition of Dontrelle Willis to a already solid rotation and you have a World Series contender.
-Atlanta: The Braves have a great rotation with Tom Glavine returning and the return of Mike Hampton from injury. They will contend in a very tough NL East.
-Seattle: The Mariners don’t get much buzz, but they could be very good this season. The addition of Erik Bedard makes the Seattle rotation on of the top in the AL and a solid offense will help the Mariners contend for an AL West title.