Arizona Diamondbacks: 4 Reasons D-backs Should Turn Attention to 2013

The Arizona Diamondbacks were champions of the National League West in 2011, but now that there is only one month left in 2012, all the D-backs are thinking about is 2013.

Nothing has gone right this season for the Diamondbacks as the team has tried to catch the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When the team had good hitting, it would not get good pitching, and for most of the season, the team has had good pitching, but poor hitting.

The excitement is gone from this 2012 team, and it is now time to find hope in 2013. This is not what Arizona hoped for, but it may be what is best for the team.

Dreadful August Sinks Diamondbacks

July looked to be the jump start Arizona needed to make a run at the playoffs, but hopes of the playoffs quickly faded in August.

As Phil Gurnee of TrueBlue.com points out, the Diamondbacks were only two games back in the division as of the beginning of August 3 when the team just finished sweeping the Dodgers. Now, the team is under .500 and, as of today, 10.5 games back in the division.

The sweep of the Dodgers was supposed to launch Arizona into a playoff frenzy. Instead, it led to the D-backs winning one series the entire month, and that was against the Houston Astros.

It was difficult enough just getting to within two games of the division; but now that the team is more than 10 games back, it is time to look to 2013. 

September Not Looking Much Better

If Arizona thought August was bad, wait until the team sees its schedule for September. All hope of the playoffs is about to be squeezed out of them, so 2013 may soon be the only thing the team can stand to look at.

The month of September has already begun with two close losses to the Dodgers, which continue a long period of not winning series. 

Next are two away series against the division-leading Giants and a Padres team that has swept the Diamondbacks the last two meetings.

Then Arizona gets the Dodgers, Giants and Padres. So instead of this being a great homestand to get into the playoff race or even take control of the division, the Diamondbacks get to see the final nails put in the coffin.

At least Arizona finishes the season at home against the Cubs, who swept the D-backs in the last meeting.

Yeah, it is time to move to 2013. This final month is going to be like pulling teeth for team and fans alike.

Offense Is Not Stepping Up

Even if the schedule were favorable in September, Arizona would still be more inclined to look to 2013 because it still has the same underlying issue that has troubled the team all season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have no hitting.

Who would have ever thought that a team that is stacked from front to back would have issues hitting the ball?

Who would have thought Aaron Hill and Jason Kubel would be the heart of the offense?

The team just hasn't been its normal self, and it has cost Arizona this weekend.

The Diamondbacks have great young pitching, and guys like Wade Miley, Patrick Corbin and Tyler Skaggs will make the rotation great for years to come—but without hitting, these pitchers' great outings will never translate into wins.

OF Justin Upton and OF Chris Young were supposed to carry the offense, but they have slumped. 3B Ryan Roberts and SS Stephen Drew have already been traded, and Roberts was key to many of the late-inning wins Arizona had last season.

Even 3B Chris Johnson, who the D-backs acquired from Houston, was great for two weeks before he went 4-for-41 from the plate.

This team came in to 2012 with only Jason Kubel as the question mark in the offense, but it has turned out that he is one of the few answers on offense.

Not only is it time to look to 2013, the lack of offense means 2013 has to become a top priority if Arizona wants to reclaim its seat as the best team in the NL West.

Big Offseason Decisions Looming for 2013

Most importantly, Arizona needs to look to 2013 because it will have maybe its most difficult offseason coming. No offseason has ever required the questions that the Diamondbacks need to answer as this one will.

There is the question of trading OF Justin Upton. He has shown the potential to be a great player, but he has had an average year. Should the team keep him and believe that this was just an off year, or does Arizona decide now is the time to trade Upton as he will still bring great value in return?

Then there is the other outfielder, Chris Young. He was the hottest man on the planet to start the year, but since his injury he has been horrific.

Young is only batting .223 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI. He is not even the speed threat he had been in the past as he only has eight stolen bases.

Young is set to earn $8.5 million next season and $11 million in 2014, but is he worth it?

Another question facing the team is the 3B position. The team needs to evaluate Chris Johnson the rest of this month and look at who is available in the offseason. If Johnson is not the answer, is Ryan Wheeler the answer?

Lastly, there are numerous players the D-backs need to choose to re-sign this offseason. 

SP Daniel Hudson, SP Ian Kennedy, P Josh Collmenter and OF Gerardo Parra are all going to be free agents. Arizona needs to evaluate and decide if the pitchers are worth re-signing considering the young talent the organization has, and the team must decide if Parra could be a starter as he will likely not settle for being a backup any longer.

There are some tough decisions that need to be made, and the decisions Arizona makes could significantly impact 2013 and beyond.

The future of the Arizona Diamondbacks could be dramatically altered depending on how much attention Arizona pays to the 2013 season.