It has been a long time since the D'backs had a decent winning streak. In fact, April seems like a year ago to the Arizona fans. Fans are begging for some dramatic changes to kick the D'backs back into the high gear that was running so many months ago.
Injuries have taken their toll on Arizona this year. With Eric Byrnes out for the year (it would seem), Chad Tracy out for the first few months, Juan Cruz, Micah Owings, and Max all straining from working the mound, the D'backs would appear to be suffering.
They have fallen from their astronomical lead in the NL West to a paltry half-game lead over the equally-suffering Dodgers.
There are a few who believe that things cannot continue this way. When so many baseball experts picked the Dodgers and D'backs to lead the league with great-hitting rookies and power pitching, it is hard to believe that they are the laughing stock of the NL.
Many would argue that despite the winning percentage and the poor hitting, the D'backs really only need to be "good enough" to keep their top spot and get in a Rockies-like groove at the end of the year in order to make a push for their second World Series victory.
As much as I have tried to stay positive, I cannot believe that things will magically get better. As a result, there are moves that need to be made.
There are many players on the D'backs roster who are under-performing. I would love to put most of them on a boat and point it toward the Bermuda Triangle, but it would fail to improve anything.
Chris Burke
The former top-prospect for the Astros has proved to be a terrible fit in Arizona. His .173 batting average makes him worthless as a pinch hitter, and his "Jack of all trades, master of none" approach to defense makes him a paltry defensive sub. There are a few teams that could use a player like Burke in the NL, but the D'backs are unlikely to get MLB-ready talent for him.
Alex Romero
The rookie outfielder has been called up and sent down three times already this season, but he still has a few options left. While the D'backs should hesitate to move any more outfielding prospects before giving them a chance (see: Carlos Quintin), Romero could stand to be an attractive trade-piece as an add-on to a larger deal.
Today's Must Reads
Chris Snyder
Currently riding the pine with the help of an inflatable donut, this former top prospect has never come around as the star everyone thought he would be. After coming on strong at the end of 2007, and having a great spring, Snyder has a .246 average and only managed seven home runs.
On the upside, he is young and has the experience of catching two Cy Young winners (even if one refuses to pitch to him).
Orlando Hudson
The three-time Gold Glove winner will command a huge contract at the end of 2008. Baseball Prospectus estimates a $25M, four-year deal. Realistically, he will demand a bigger contract than Byrnes' three-year, $30M contract that was signed at the end of 2007.
The D'backs have no reason to put that money up (especially after the way the Byrnes deal ended). Not only do they have a capable 2B prospect in Emilio Bonifacio, but they have an MLB-ready star in Augie Ojeda.
Hudson is hitting .303 with the D'backs this year, and he has managed seven home runs. The loss of his .303 bat would be tough if not for Ojeda's .305 bat that sits on the bench. Their loss of Hudson's character and clubhouse presence would, undoubtedly, be the greatest obstacle for the D'backs to overcome.
Teams that seem to be lacking at the second base position that could be buyers are the Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Cardinals, and White Sox.
Of those teams, the D'backs should be looking to acquire a catcher with a bat, a set-up man, or an outfielder with a bat.
The Braves have Brian McCann, but are thin behind the plate after trading Salty last year. Their outfield and pen are thin due to injuries, providing slim pickings.
The Dodgers have Andre Ethier (a Phoenix native) whom they have talked about trading. Of course, with Pierre on the DL and Jones playing at a single-A level, the Dodgers wouldn't likely trade to their rival. Though Hudson would be a signable replacement for Jeff Kent for the next five years for them.
The Rays could package Grant Balfour and Gabe Gross together, giving the D'backs an outstanding set-up man and a decent outfield bat. The Rays are close to Hudson's home of South Carolina, which may attract him. They could also win the World Series, which would attract anyone.
The Cards could improve greatly at second by sacrificing another Arizona native like Chris Duncan. Packaged with a guy like Todd Wellemeyer, the Cards could end up helping the D'backs greatly.
The White Sox are long-time trading partners with the D'backs and could send the D'backs Boone Logan and Brian Anderson, providing them with some young talent.
In all reality, the D'backs need a guy like Jason Veritek. He is practically Red Sox royalty, but many in Boston feel that it is time for the Captain to move on. His leadership skills would be greatly appreciated in the young Arizona clubhouse.
A change to the NL could help break him out of his slump, and his defense would dramatically improve the Swiss cheese that usually receives the D'backs' starters.
There isn't much that the D'backs have that the Red Sox would want, but I'm sure Josh Byrnes would be happy to send Burke, Hudson, and Chad Tracy over to Boston for a guy like 'Tek.
In the end, Hudson needs to go.
He is obviously not providing the spark that the D'backs need to win games. His defense has fallen off significantly over the years, and his attitude is crap. It may be tough for the Arizona brass to move one of the best hitters on a team that has trouble hitting .200, but drastic times call for drastic measures.
We can't re-sign him, and we have the chance to win this year. Move him before it is too late. Another draft pick only means we have to wait longer for October.
comments (8) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
As much as I would hate to see Orlando Hudson go, I think it would be a good business move for the Dbacks. The odds of the Dbacks signing him to a big deal are slim to none. He's got two gold gloves, he's a switch hitter, and he's a great clubhouse presence. I think he has a high trade value, and it would be a good idea to move him. Ojeda and Bonifacio can easily take over at second base. I think the recent slump will force the front office to make a move before the slide gets any worse.
about 1 month ago
If Alex Romero turns into the next Quentin I think I'll shoot myself in the lip. I also think Hudson will go. It's the best thing for this franchise.
Good work!
about 1 month ago
Hudson isn't going anywhere. An offensively-starved team doesn't trade its best hitter in the middle of the playoff race. They'll try to resign him, and if they don't then they get nice draft compensation. And the D'backs will pull out of this. They are a lot better than they're playing, and there is a lot of baseball left.
about 1 month ago
The Dbacks cannot afford to resign Orlando Hudson. The team is still paying off their debts from the 2001 season. Hudson isn't a star on the team and he isn't producing the way he should. Augie Ojeda is more than capable of filling the shoes that Hudson likes to leave in the dirt after he botches a play and lays down in the grass. The Dbacks need to focus on building up their young players and hopefully finding a more seasoned "leader" type player to fill the role that Orlando and Eric Byrnes are having issues with filling.
about 1 month ago
Ojeda cannot fill his shoes. Yes, he is hitting over .300 now, but that's the beauty of small sample sizes. Have you seen Ojeda's stats for the majority of his career? They're not quite so flattering. Say what you will about Hudson, he is hitting near .300 on a team that struggles to hit .250. If it wasn't for him and Conor Jackson, the D'backs offense would be much worse off. And even if they can't resign Hudson, they will get draft pick compensation for losing him as a free agent that will likely be better than anything they could get for him on the open market.
from about 1 month ago
Actually Augie did a great job filling his shoes last year when he went down with an injury. There are many who think that if not for Augie, the team doesn't even make it to the playoffs. You may or may not agree with them but Augie hasn't really had a chance to be an every-day starter. While there are some batters who can do well spot-starting, most struggle without consistent at-bats.
But you may be right, Augie is not of the "caliber" that Hudson is. He may not strike fear into a pitcher when he steps up to the plate. He make not make Webb feel comfortable throwing a 3-2 splitter. Those intangibles are tough to interpret.
As far as getting a sandwich pick for losing him...as Dustin says below...we don't need any more prospects, we need to win now. A guy not ready to play for 2-3 years doesn't solve our problems now. We need a bat, even if it is a rented one. With a power hitter in the lineup, the Dbacks could return to their early-season form.
about 1 month ago
I agree with most of your article, however I do not think his defense has fallen off in recent years, he just won the freakin' gold glove again! but i agree that he needs to go, and not only do we need a quality bat in the lineup, but we need a leader in the clubhouse. Hudson would be the best trade bait because his numbers are the best on the team. We do not need any more prospects either.
from about 1 month ago
I've heard a lot of sportscasters state that once you win the gold glove, it takes an outstanding performance from someone else to steal it from you. Basically saying, you win based on name recognition and not totally sucking. I don't dispute Hudson's win in Toronto or the one he got his first year with the Dbacks, but I think the 2007 Gold Glove was complimentary. As far as 2008 goes, I think he has completely given it up to Chase Utley.
Case in point, Hudson had 10 errors all of 2007. He only needs two more errors to equal that number for 2008. To me, that shows that his D has fallen off. His range factor/9 was 5.83 in Toronto and 5.48 after shifting to grass in the NL. In 2006, his RF9 dropped to 5.23, then to 4.71, and now sits at 4.46. That's really not good. By comparison, Utley's is 5.22 this year.
That decrease shows me that he is declining significantly. But yes, I still think a ton of teams would trade for an All-Star, Gold Glove, .300 hitting 2B.
write a new comment