ESPN Insider anyone?

[Arizona_Sting]

My subscription ended about a month ago and I was wondering if anyone could post the article "How I would fix the Arizona Diamondbacks" on here if they have access to it. Thanks in advance.

Here's the link- How I'd fix the Arizona Diamondbacks - ESPN

 

[kcden]

Entering the season, many people saw the Arizona Diamondbacks as a .500 team with an outside shot at the playoffs. After a 4-14 start, those postseason odds seem remote because not only is this team losing, it's getting crushed -- with a run differential that would be comparable to the '62 Mets if prorated over a full season.

The D-backs have made a lot of mistakes in recent years in their attempt to mimic the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, teams that have thrived by targeting "high-character" players. The difference is that Arizona did this at the expense of talent, something Boston or St. Louis never did.

For example, the trades of Justin Upton and Adam Eaton were both made with team chemistry in mind, but those players are better than the guys who replaced them -- Mark Trumbo and A.J. Pollock. And the D-backs also had to give up Tyler Skaggs in the Eaton deal, a quality young starter they could desperately use right now.

So what should Arizona do? A lot of fans probably want to see GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson fired, but I don't think that is the solution. They were both recently given contract extensions -- terms were not disclosed -- but they have good continuity with president Derrick Hall and owner Ken Kendrick, and continuity is a virtue.

I'd like to think that Towers and Gibson can learn from recent mistakes and start rebuilding the team with talent as the priority. The good news for the D-backs is they have some intriguing trade assets.

Trade bait

Looking at Arizona's roster, four names jump out to me as trade candidates: Aaron Hill, Martin Prado, Miguel Montero and Trumbo. All four have reasonable contracts and could help a contender, but they don't fit the D-backs' ideal long-term roster.

Hill: When healthy, Hill has been solid for the D-Backs since Towers acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Kelly Johnson, a deal he clearly won. Hill, now 32 years old and owed $11 million this season and $12 million each in 2015 and 2016, is a luxury for a rebuilding team but a moderate cost for a contender. At least three theoretical contenders come to mind -- the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Blue Jays -- who are getting virtually nothing from second base and could use a player like Hill.

If the D-Backs deal Hill, they could then move rookie Chris Owings to second and put their best defensive shortstop, Didi Gregorius, back in that spot. A young Gregorius-Owings double-play combination should be a long-term solution and allow the D-backs to concentrate on starting pitching and corner-outfield needs.

Prado: The 30-year-old is owed $11 million this season and the next two. Like Hill, he wouldn't be a huge expenditure for a team in contention. The benefit of Prado is that he could be marketed as a third baseman, second baseman or super utilityman because he can also play left field.

One club that makes a lot of sense is the Giants. They reportedly offered Pablo Sandoval a three-year, $40 million deal that he turned down, and it seems certain he will test free agency. Prado could replace Sandoval at third -- or play second -- and give San Francisco some cost certainty for a few seasons, something the Giants desperately need considering their huge salary commitments to Buster Posey, Matt Cain and Hunter Pence.

The D-backs, on the other hand, could use another dynamic power bat in their lineup and have shown a willingness to spend on free agents, as demonstrated by their pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka. They could easily give Sandoval the kind of deal that the Giants aren't willing to give him right now.

Montero: This continues a theme of players who are good yet too expensive and not quite good enough for a team in Arizona's position. The 30-year-old Montero is signed through 2017 and could help a few contenders in need of a catcher, most notably the Texas Rangers. If I were Towers, I'd be calling Rangers GM Jon Daniels every day to see what I could get for Montero.

Trumbo: The D-backs' outfield is really dysfunctional right now, and no one represents this better than Trumbo, a guy who can hit 40 homers but should be limited to first base or DH. Of course, the D-backs already have a superstar first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt -- the best discovery/long-term deal of the Towers era -- so Trumbo has to play left field, where he is a liability.

As a result, Arizona has Pollock, a decent player but not a starter on a championship team, in center and Gerardo Parra, an elite glove whose bat doesn't profile in a corner, in right. The D-backs should be looking to move Trumbo, who won't be a free agent until after the 2016 season, to a team that needs a first baseman -- like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins or Mets. Then they can replace him with Cody Ross when he comes off the DL. At least Ross' glove is adequate.

With all these players, the D-backs should be looking to get young pitching in return, which brings us to their next step.

Call up Bradley

Archie Bradley is arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors right now, and the D-backs should call him up whether or not he is ready. Based on what I've seen, he'll succeed now with his fastball and breaking ball alone. And those who are worried about whether he could handle the pressure of pitching for the lowly Diamondbacks haven't met him yet. He is a dynamic personality with great makeup, character and intelligence, and he can handle the pressure of the big leagues.

And if he's not ready, the D-backs can option him back to the minors, the way the Cardinals did with Michael Wacha after promoting him in May last season before bringing him back up in August.

Part of the reason Arizona needs to do this is because its best pitcher, Patrick Corbin, is out for the season and another one of its starters doesn't look right. Bronson Arroyo's back appears to be bothering him -- he complained about it during spring training -- and he should be shut down until he is 100 percent. He's the kind of pitcher who won't ask out of the rotation, and the D-backs need to try to salvage the two-year deal they just gave him. He has a 9.95 ERA right now, so it's not as if he's been effective.

The D-backs made some mistakes in recent years, but it's time to learn from them. They need to shop their moderately priced veterans in search of the best pitching talent they can get and move toward the future by promoting Gregorius and Bradley. With a couple of shrewd moves, they are not that far from contending. But they can't double down on their mistakes of the past.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[Pattersonca65]

My subscription ended about a month ago and I was wondering if anyone could post the article "How I would fix the Arizona Diamondbacks" on here if they have access to it. Thanks in advance.

Here's the link- How I'd fix the Arizona Diamondbacks - ESPN

Here you go:

Entering the season, many people saw the Arizona Diamondbacks as a .500 team with an outside shot at the playoffs. After a 4-14 start, those postseason odds seem remote because not only is this team losing, it's getting crushed -- with a run differential that would be comparable to the '62 Mets if prorated over a full season.

The D-backs have made a lot of mistakes in recent years in their attempt to mimic the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, teams that have thrived by targeting "high-character" players. The difference is that Arizona did this at the expense of talent, something Boston or St. Louis never did.

For example, the trades of Justin Upton and Adam Eaton were both made with team chemistry in mind, but those players are better than the guys who replaced them -- Mark Trumbo and A.J. Pollock. And the D-backs also had to give up Tyler Skaggs in the Eaton deal, a quality young starter they could desperately use right now.

So what should Arizona do? A lot of fans probably want to see GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson fired, but I don't think that is the solution. They were both recently given contract extensions -- terms were not disclosed -- but they have good continuity with president Derrick Hall and owner Ken Kendrick, and continuity is a virtue.

I'd like to think that Towers and Gibson can learn from recent mistakes and start rebuilding the team with talent as the priority. The good news for the D-backs is they have some intriguing trade assets.

Trade bait

Looking at Arizona's roster, four names jump out to me as trade candidates: Aaron Hill, Martin Prado, Miguel Montero and Trumbo. All four have reasonable contracts and could help a contender, but they don't fit the D-backs' ideal long-term roster.

Hill: When healthy, Hill has been solid for the D-Backs since Towers acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Kelly Johnson, a deal he clearly won. Hill, now 32 years old and owed $11 million this season and $12 million each in 2015 and 2016, is a luxury for a rebuilding team but a moderate cost for a contender. At least three theoretical contenders come to mind -- the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Blue Jays -- who are getting virtually nothing from second base and could use a player like Hill.

If the D-Backs deal Hill, they could then move rookie Chris Owings to second and put their best defensive shortstop, Didi Gregorius, back in that spot. A young Gregorius-Owings double-play combination should be a long-term solution and allow the D-backs to concentrate on starting pitching and corner-outfield needs.

Prado: The 30-year-old is owed $11 million this season and the next two. Like Hill, he wouldn't be a huge expenditure for a team in contention. The benefit of Prado is that he could be marketed as a third baseman, second baseman or super utilityman because he can also play left field.

One club that makes a lot of sense is the Giants. They reportedly offered Pablo Sandoval a three-year, $40 million deal that he turned down, and it seems certain he will test free agency. Prado could replace Sandoval at third -- or play second -- and give San Francisco some cost certainty for a few seasons, something the Giants desperately need considering their huge salary commitments to Buster Posey, Matt Cain and Hunter Pence.

The D-backs, on the other hand, could use another dynamic power bat in their lineup and have shown a willingness to spend on free agents, as demonstrated by their pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka. They could easily give Sandoval the kind of deal that the Giants aren't willing to give him right now.

Montero: This continues a theme of players who are good yet too expensive and not quite good enough for a team in Arizona's position. The 30-year-old Montero is signed through 2017 and could help a few contenders in need of a catcher, most notably the Texas Rangers. If I were Towers, I'd be calling Rangers GM Jon Daniels every day to see what I could get for Montero.

Trumbo: The D-backs' outfield is really dysfunctional right now, and no one represents this better than Trumbo, a guy who can hit 40 homers but should be limited to first base or DH. Of course, the D-backs already have a superstar first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt -- the best discovery/long-term deal of the Towers era -- so Trumbo has to play left field, where he is a liability.

As a result, Arizona has Pollock, a decent player but not a starter on a championship team, in center and Gerardo Parra, an elite glove whose bat doesn't profile in a corner, in right. The D-backs should be looking to move Trumbo, who won't be a free agent until after the 2016 season, to a team that needs a first baseman -- like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins or Mets. Then they can replace him with Cody Ross when he comes off the DL. At least Ross' glove is adequate.

With all these players, the D-backs should be looking to get young pitching in return, which brings us to their next step.

Call up Bradley

Archie Bradley is arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors right now, and the D-backs should call him up whether or not he is ready. Based on what I've seen, he'll succeed now with his fastball and breaking ball alone. And those who are worried about whether he could handle the pressure of pitching for the lowly Diamondbacks haven't met him yet. He is a dynamic personality with great makeup, character and intelligence, and he can handle the pressure of the big leagues.

And if he's not ready, the D-backs can option him back to the minors, the way the Cardinals did with Michael Wacha after promoting him in May last season before bringing him back up in August.

Part of the reason Arizona needs to do this is because its best pitcher, Patrick Corbin, is out for the season and another one of its starters doesn't look right. Bronson Arroyo's back appears to be bothering him -- he complained about it during spring training -- and he should be shut down until he is 100 percent. He's the kind of pitcher who won't ask out of the rotation, and the D-backs need to try to salvage the two-year deal they just gave him. He has a 9.95 ERA right now, so it's not as if he's been effective.

The D-backs made some mistakes in recent years, but it's time to learn from them. They need to shop their moderately priced veterans in search of the best pitching talent they can get and move toward the future by promoting Gregorius and Bradley. With a couple of shrewd moves, they are not that far from contending. But they can't double down on their mistakes of the past.

 

[navamind]

Here you go:

Entering the season, many people saw the Arizona Diamondbacks as a .500 team with an outside shot at the playoffs. After a 4-14 start, those postseason odds seem remote because not only is this team losing, it's getting crushed -- with a run differential that would be comparable to the '62 Mets if prorated over a full season.

The D-backs have made a lot of mistakes in recent years in their attempt to mimic the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, teams that have thrived by targeting "high-character" players. The difference is that Arizona did this at the expense of talent, something Boston or St. Louis never did.

For example, the trades of Justin Upton and Adam Eaton were both made with team chemistry in mind, but those players are better than the guys who replaced them -- Mark Trumbo and A.J. Pollock. And the D-backs also had to give up Tyler Skaggs in the Eaton deal, a quality young starter they could desperately use right now.

So what should Arizona do? A lot of fans probably want to see GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson fired, but I don't think that is the solution. They were both recently given contract extensions -- terms were not disclosed -- but they have good continuity with president Derrick Hall and owner Ken Kendrick, and continuity is a virtue.

I'd like to think that Towers and Gibson can learn from recent mistakes and start rebuilding the team with talent as the priority. The good news for the D-backs is they have some intriguing trade assets.

Trade bait

Looking at Arizona's roster, four names jump out to me as trade candidates: Aaron Hill, Martin Prado, Miguel Montero and Trumbo. All four have reasonable contracts and could help a contender, but they don't fit the D-backs' ideal long-term roster.

Hill: When healthy, Hill has been solid for the D-Backs since Towers acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Kelly Johnson, a deal he clearly won. Hill, now 32 years old and owed $11 million this season and $12 million each in 2015 and 2016, is a luxury for a rebuilding team but a moderate cost for a contender. At least three theoretical contenders come to mind -- the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Blue Jays -- who are getting virtually nothing from second base and could use a player like Hill.

If the D-Backs deal Hill, they could then move rookie Chris Owings to second and put their best defensive shortstop, Didi Gregorius, back in that spot. A young Gregorius-Owings double-play combination should be a long-term solution and allow the D-backs to concentrate on starting pitching and corner-outfield needs.

Prado: The 30-year-old is owed $11 million this season and the next two. Like Hill, he wouldn't be a huge expenditure for a team in contention. The benefit of Prado is that he could be marketed as a third baseman, second baseman or super utilityman because he can also play left field.

One club that makes a lot of sense is the Giants. They reportedly offered Pablo Sandoval a three-year, $40 million deal that he turned down, and it seems certain he will test free agency. Prado could replace Sandoval at third -- or play second -- and give San Francisco some cost certainty for a few seasons, something the Giants desperately need considering their huge salary commitments to Buster Posey, Matt Cain and Hunter Pence.

The D-backs, on the other hand, could use another dynamic power bat in their lineup and have shown a willingness to spend on free agents, as demonstrated by their pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka. They could easily give Sandoval the kind of deal that the Giants aren't willing to give him right now.

Montero: This continues a theme of players who are good yet too expensive and not quite good enough for a team in Arizona's position. The 30-year-old Montero is signed through 2017 and could help a few contenders in need of a catcher, most notably the Texas Rangers. If I were Towers, I'd be calling Rangers GM Jon Daniels every day to see what I could get for Montero.

Trumbo: The D-backs' outfield is really dysfunctional right now, and no one represents this better than Trumbo, a guy who can hit 40 homers but should be limited to first base or DH. Of course, the D-backs already have a superstar first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt -- the best discovery/long-term deal of the Towers era -- so Trumbo has to play left field, where he is a liability.

As a result, Arizona has Pollock, a decent player but not a starter on a championship team, in center and Gerardo Parra, an elite glove whose bat doesn't profile in a corner, in right. The D-backs should be looking to move Trumbo, who won't be a free agent until after the 2016 season, to a team that needs a first baseman -- like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins or Mets. Then they can replace him with Cody Ross when he comes off the DL. At least Ross' glove is adequate.

With all these players, the D-backs should be looking to get young pitching in return, which brings us to their next step.

Call up Bradley

Archie Bradley is arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors right now, and the D-backs should call him up whether or not he is ready. Based on what I've seen, he'll succeed now with his fastball and breaking ball alone. And those who are worried about whether he could handle the pressure of pitching for the lowly Diamondbacks haven't met him yet. He is a dynamic personality with great makeup, character and intelligence, and he can handle the pressure of the big leagues.

And if he's not ready, the D-backs can option him back to the minors, the way the Cardinals did with Michael Wacha after promoting him in May last season before bringing him back up in August.

Part of the reason Arizona needs to do this is because its best pitcher, Patrick Corbin, is out for the season and another one of its starters doesn't look right. Bronson Arroyo's back appears to be bothering him -- he complained about it during spring training -- and he should be shut down until he is 100 percent. He's the kind of pitcher who won't ask out of the rotation, and the D-backs need to try to salvage the two-year deal they just gave him. He has a 9.95 ERA right now, so it's not as if he's been effective.

The D-backs made some mistakes in recent years, but it's time to learn from them. They need to shop their moderately priced veterans in search of the best pitching talent they can get and move toward the future by promoting Gregorius and Bradley. With a couple of shrewd moves, they are not that far from contending. But they can't double down on their mistakes of the past.

Someone beat you to it... several months ago. Lol.

 

[Pattersonca65]

Someone beat you to it... several months ago. Lol.

LOL, I am blind when using my android phone