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It’s been an interesting couple of days for the Arizona Diamondbacks, hasn’t it? Just one day after making waves with those super-funky new uniforms of theirs, the Diamondbacks seemingly kicked down the door on the Zack Greinke sweepstakes by rushing in, grabbing the prize and fleeing the scene while the bystanders (who were wearing blue-and-white and orange-and-black) were left standing in awe. Yes, Greinke going to the Diamondbacks on a six-year, $206.5 million deal is a bit of stunner, but it’s not as gargantuan of an upset as you’d think.
First off, TV money in baseball is getting lavish right now, and if you’re one of the teams that’s recently negotiated a cozy deal with a regional sports network, then now is your time to shine. Arizona is one of those teams, and they’re coming off signing a lovely deal that was not only worth $1.5 Billion, but also gave them a stake of ownership in Fox Sports Arizona. Therefore, the Diamondbacks have got some coin to spend, and they definitely opened up the checkbook for this particular deal. If you’ve got the money and you’re willing to compete, then you may as well spend it, right?
Secondly, Arizona is a team that isn’t even all that bad. In fact, they’re closer to being pretty good than they were to being a bottom-tier team in baseball. They only finished four games under .500 in 2015, and when you have undeniable talents like perennial MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt and rising stars like A.J. Pollock, Ender Inciarte and David Peralta, then you’ve got a nice core to build around. Unfortunately, none of those guys are pitchers, which means that Greinke is going to walk into this rotation and immediately be considered “The Man” on that pitching staff. With that being said, there’s always a possibility that pitching help could be on the way via trade or free agency. That could be the key to making sure that not only will the D-Backs get away clean with this smash-and-grab that they just pulled off, but they’ll also be able to enjoy the spoils of their winter victory by being real contenders in the summer and fall.
- Another starting pitcher came off the free agency board yesterday, as John Lackey signed with the Cubs for a “measly” two-year, $32 million deal.
- The Giants were considered one of the major players for Greinke until Arizona grabbed him. So, who’s the backup plan for San Francisco?
- Speaking of people who were associated with San Francisco, Barry Bonds is back in baseball as a hitting coach for the Marlins. He also considers himself a Hall of Famer, regardless of what the actual voters may think.
- Free agent reliever Darren O’Day is reportedly very close to deciding on which team he’ll be pitching for next season. The Nationals, Orioles and Braves (?!) are the three finalists, apparently.
- Korean outfielder Hyun-soo Kim has caught the eye of the Oakland Athletics, who could be ready to formally pursue him as a free agent.
- The Royals may need some help in the outfield next season. Our friends at Royals Review are pondering over whether a trade for Yasiel Puig would be good for them.
- The Rangers and Reds are reportedly in talks about a potential trade centered around Todd Frazier, with the idea that Frazier would be an outfielder in Texas. Interesting.
- Fangraphs wants us to remember what they consider to be the most important thing about free agents. Jordan Zimmermann would probably tell you that it’s to “make sure that you don’t make the natives angry when it comes to football.”
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