5 Surprises: Arizona Diamondbacks

Five Diamondbacks surprises that I would not have predicted in the offseason: Josh Byrnes' firing.  Byrnes' contract ran through 2015 and included an ownership stake, so his July dismissal took me by surprise.  The departure of Jeff Moorad may have been a factor, reported the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro.  General Managing Partner Ken Kendrick cited the team's weak farm system as a primary reason, in that Piecoro article.  Brandon Webb a non-factor.  Byrnes and the rest of the team's management saw enough in Webb to exercise his club option in January at an $8MM net cost.  Presumably they expected at least five months out of him.  Instead, his recovery from August 2009 shoulder surgery will delay his 2010 debut until September, when he'll try to make a few relief appearances. The terrible bullpen.  I wasn't thrilled with the D'Backs' additions of Aaron Heilman and Bob Howr...