Yardbarker: Adam Dunn

Decisions, Decisions Part Three- Infielders

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:53:15 -0500

The next segment in the "Decisions, Decisions" series will take a look at free agent infielders. Although many believe that the only need is at first base, certain circumstances may arise that would cause the Yankees to need more than this. These circumstances will be explained before each infield position's listed possibilities. Should Jorge Posada's rehab show that he is unable to catch for all, or any, of the 2009 season, the Yankees may look into a more quality backup catcher than Jose Molina. With that, let's take a look at the catchers on the market. Catchers Josh Bard- Prior to the 2008 season, Josh Bard had shown that he was a quality backup catcher, with his best season coming in 2007, and another quality season in 2006 (seven of these games came with Boston, where he did not do so well). However, I do not see Bard as a superior backup to Jose Molina, thus I do not see him signing with the Yankees Michael Barrett- Michael Barrett was once a quality catcher for the Chicago Cubs. However, those days are behind him. Also, his attitude problems may scare many teams away, including the Yankees. Much like Josh Bard, I see Jose Molina as a better catcher, thus I do not see Barrett donning the pinstripes in 2009. Miguel Olivo- Many rumors had the Yankees linked to Miguel Olivo around the time of the All-Star Break. Olivo has been much better offensively than Jose Molina. However, he has a slightly lower fielding percentage throughout his shorter career. Because I cannot see the Yankees offering Ivan Rodriguez arbitration, for fear that he will accept, and because Olivo could possibly become a free agent, should the Royals opt for the buyout, I could see Olivo signing a short contract with the Yankees if Jorge Posada's rehab does not take the route that we hope it does. Should the Yankees opt for the buyout on Jason Giambi's contract, which is very likely, a first baseman would be a necessity. Here's what the free agent market has to offer: First Baseman Mark Teixeira- Mark Teixeira has been great thoughout his somewhat short career. With numbers such as 203 home runs, a lifetime .290 batting average, and a .996 lifetime fielding percentage at first base, Teixeira could be exactly what the Yankees need to spark the line up. Having lacked a Gold Glove-type first baseman since the Don Mattingly era, I can see the Yankees signing Teixeira in a heartbeat. Hank Blalock- Although this name has been thrown around very little in the Mark Teixeira hype, Hank Blalock may be a great plan B to Mark Teixeira. After great seasons in 2005 and 2006, Blalock just could not seem to stay healthy in 2007 or 2008, playing in a combined 123 games. However, in the games that he did play from 2007 to 2008, Blalock had 24 home runs, 71 runs batted in, and had a .996 fielding percentage at first base in 2008 (this was the first year that he played the position). Blalock has always had the potential to be a great player, but has not had the chance as of late. Should the Rangers opt for the buyout and Teixeira go elsewhere, I could see the Yankees signing Hand Blalock. Adam Dunn- Although Adam Dunn has made his name as an outfielder, he has played a good amount of first base in his career. Although he has never played in the American League, one would think that his outstanding numbers would translate after a short period of time. Despite the fact that Adam Dunn has had a great offensive career, his career fielding percentage at first base is only .984, which is lower than Jason Giambi's in his time with the Yankees. I don't believe that is what the Yankees are looking for in a first baseman, thus I don't see Dunn in a Yankees uniform, at least not at first base, come 2009. After hearing many rumors about Robinson Cano being on the trade market, I decided that I should add a short list of possible replacements at second base. This list would only pertain to the Yankees if Robinson Cano is traded and the Yankees do not receive a second baseman in return. With that, here's who's available through free agency: Second Baseman Orlando Hudson- Although Orlando Hudson missed a good portion of 2008, he helped the Arizona Diamondbacks in many ways both this year and in years passed. Although Hudson has been out of the American League for a few years now, he is an All-Star caliber player that would surely readjust quite quickly. Although Hudson's numbers are a bit lower than Robinson Cano's, with the exception of his fielding percentage, which is .003 % higher than Cano's, Hudson would be far superior to any other second baseman the Yankees would have to offer. However, Hudson may ask for far too much money, especially since the Yankees would first want to acquire a starting pitcher and possibly a first baseman. In conclusion, I could see Hudson playing for the Yankees if Robinson Cano is traded, but don't look forward to Brian Cashman and the Yankees giving up on Robbie just yet.

The 2009 Diamondbacks Season

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:31:30 -0500

A few days back i wrote a (lengthy) piece on the 2008 Diamondbacks season, with a promise to write a follow-up post about where the Dbacks go from there. This is that post.

That 2008 column ended with a line about the Dbacks facing a mountain of questions going into the 2008 off-season and into 2009. While an admittedly cheesy wrap-up to the post, it was nonetheless true. The Dbacks have a ton of questions they need to answer, and i'm not sure where they (or i) will even begin.

Let's start with a big one: The Big Unit. Randy Johnson is sitting on 295 wins, just five short of they mythical 300. There's no denying it would be a great accomplishment for him, and based on the way he pitched the second half of this season he will get it next year. But will he be in a Diamondbacks uniform? Hard to say.

The Dbacks aren't going to pay Johnson a lot of money. They still owe him something like $41M for his last contract with the Dbacks (no, not this one. The one from before. You know, back from when he won the World Series here?). It's hard to tell what Randy will do; He's always been a bit of a selfish player, but i wonder if he recognizes he should stay here and win 300 with the team he's going into the Hall of Fame with. If he does re-sign here, look for it to be around only $4M, even though he could command upwards of double that in the open market.

Staying in the starting rotation, you have Webb and Haren as the unquestioned leaders. Behind that? Murky. Doug Davis is a crap-shoot as to whether he will be back or not. Max Scherzer will be your number 4, probably regardless of who is here and who isn't. A rotation of Webb, Haren, Johnson, Davis and Scherzer isn't bad. Webb, Haren, Scherzer, Petit, and a started to be named later not as much.

The bullpen is even worse. Depending on who you listen to, the Dbacks need to either get rid of everyone or everyone had an off year and will be better next year. Realistically it's somewhere in the middle. I don't know how you bring Jon Rauch back after his trainwreck of a season here. Chad Qualls is the 2009 closer, mark it down now. He will be fine in that role. Move Lyon back into the 8th inning, i think he will be fine there as well. Either Tony Pena or Juan Cruz are likely gone; Make the other the 7th inning guy.

Billy Buckner and Leo Rosales will be the long-relief guys. What the Dbacks are in desperate need of, and what they have been in desperate need of for years, is a left handed reliever. Sorry Doug Slaten, you are not the answer. Will Ledezma, a late season pickup, could be it. He pitched fairly well in admittedly limited action.

Looking out into the outfield, there is a logjam. Chris Young is the starting Center Fielder. His bat suffered this season, but his defense is gold-glove-worthy. Justin Upton is the Right Fielder. His defense is suspect, but he's only 21. And his bat became electric the last month of this season. In left-field you have some issues.

After the way CoJack adjusted to the switch and how he started to hit once out there, you are basically forced to leave him in left. Problem is you're paying Eric Byrnes $10M a year to be the left fielder. And i know not many people remember this, but when healthy Byrnes isn't a bad player. He hit .276 in his two full season with the Dbacks, 2006-2007, and has some pop in his bat. Not to mention he's the best base-stealer on the roster, something the Diamondbacks sorely missed this year. From the things Bob Melvin and Derrick Hall have been saying, it sounds like Byrnes will go into 2009 as the 4th outfielder. Hard to put $10M on the bench, but in this case it looks like the best option. He'll get plenty of chances to play.

On the infield you have a total disaster. Shortstop is the only position locked up with Stephen Drew. Drew really came around the last month and is poised to have a seriously good breakout season in 2009. The rest of the infield is completely up in the air. Mark Reynolds will be there, though there's no telling where. Third clearly isn't the best place to put him (though he played pretty well there in 2007). There are a lot of rumors about him moving to second, which is where he played in the minors, to replace Orlando Hudson, who will be gone. Just in the last week there has been some talk of putting Reynolds at first as well.

Where Reynolds plays will depend largely on what the Dbacks do in the offseason. If they can get a good third baseman, Reynolds moves to the right side of the infield. If the Dbacks get a stud second baseman, Reynolds may stay at third. The Dbacks do have some options already here. Augie Ojeda and David Eckstein wouldn't be a bad combo at second for the year. Both are good with the glove and good enough from the plate. If the Dbacks go that route, i could see them going after a third baseman in free agency or through trade, and putting Reynolds at first.

Either way, there are a lot of choices and decisions to be made. The Dbacks could also bring Jamie D'Antona up; He can play either corner infield spot. And, of course, all of this is assuming Adam Dunn is gone as well. There has been talk of the Dbacks trying to re-sign him, but i don't think it will happen. Dunn strikes out too much in a lineup filled with people who strike out too much, and is a defensive liability pretty much everywhere on the field.

The last position is catcher. Unlike every other position on the Dbacks, catcher is locked up. Chris Snyder is the starting catcher, he can play almost every day, and he brings a decent bat to the order. Behind him could be interesting. Miguel Montero has been rumored to be working out at third base in the offseason. If that's the case, Robby Hammock would likely be the back-up catcher.

No matter how you shake it, the Diamondbacks will be a very different looking team in the 2009 season. It would not surprise me to see 8-9 players from this season's team gone next season. And while that is a lot of change, it is not necessarily a bad thing. As we saw down the stretch this season, something needs to be done. Let's just hope the Dbacks can pull the right strings...

Mark Reynolds swinging for history

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:02:23 -0500

When Arizona Diamondbacks third basemen Mark Reynolds struck out during the second inning Wednesday he put his name in the record books. Though it's not on a list where most would want to be. Reynolds tied the major league record for strike outs in a reason with his 199th strike out of the year, trying Ryan [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Mark Reynolds swinging for history", url: "http://www.tireball.com/behindthedugout/2008/09/25/mark-reynolds-swinging-for-history/" });

Yankees Rotation And Fielders

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:30:51 -0500

With all the money the Yankees are getting back why not spend it. There is no doubt one of the frontline pitchers will be signed by the Yankees, but who will it be. I want to ask you to tell me who the starters and Fielders will be. There is way too much talent out there to not be signed by any major league club, but im interested to see what your take is. Here is my Pitchers and Fielders Starting Pitching Rotation CC Sabathia AJ Burnett Chien-Ming Wang Joba Chamberlain Andy Pettite Starting Line-Up CF-Brett Gardner SS-Derek Jeter 1B-Mark Texeira 3B-Alex Rodriguez LF-Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn 2B-Robinson Cano C-Jorge Posada RF-Veteran-With Possible Replacement By Minor League Outfielder Austin Jackson DH-Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon

Byrnes for Castillo?

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:09:50 -0500

The Diamondbacks are very interested in bringing back Adam Dunn, but will not have room for him unless they trade either Eric Byrnes, Connor Jackson, or Justin Upton. It appears that Eric Byrnes will be the most likely to be traded. He only played in 52 games this year, but is a career .263 hitter and is not a free agent until 2011. But, who wants an injured outfielder who only hit .209? The Mets may be interested. The Mets would like to trade Luis Castillo and may shop him to the Diamondbacks so they can fill their void from losing Orlando Hudson. Castillo is owed 18 million over the next two seasons while Byrnes is owed 22 million through 2011. If the Diamondbacks added another player or split the difference between the contracts, a deal could happen.A

Castillo hit 245 with 3 HR in 87 games this season.A

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Nationals Fire Five Coaches

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:27:21 -0500

The Washington Nationals fired five coaches Sunday in an attempt to give Manny Acta another chance with a new coaching staff. They fired everyone except Randy St. Claire, the pitching coach who has been with the franchise since 2003. "I feel bad about losing every one of them," Acta said. "Those guys handled it a lot better than I did. They tried to pump me up. They are true professionals." Bowden plans to be very aggressive in rebuilding this club, and that starts with adding a veteran pitcher, as well as a power hitter to build a lineup around. The team is expected to pursue a veteran like Paul Byrd, as well as a hitter like Adam Dunn.

As for new coaches, one name that comes up is Iowa Cubs manager Pat Listach. Listach has done an excellent job managing the Iowa Cubs and could be a base coach for the Cubs if one of the coaches decides to leave. If the Nationals call, Listach would mostly likely bite on the offer, knowing that a managerial job is in sight.A

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Hermida to Royals, Indians, or Diamondbacks?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:19:56 -0500

Coming into this offseason, the Marlins have eighteen arbitration eligible players. It is very unlikely that the Marlins will sign all of them, but picking who to trade will be the tough part. While the Marlins have been competitive, they don't want to trade away their best players and take another two steps back in terms of getting back to the playoffs. With that said, it is likely they will try to keep one of the following three: Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla, and Jeremy Hermida. There is a lot of demand for outfielders and second baseman, so they might be able to get the best prospects for them. However, it is possible that the Yankees could turn to the Marlins for Jacobs if signing Teixeira falls through.A

Hermida, although he has expressed his desire to stay, looks as good as gone. Royals GM Dayton Moore is very familiar with Hermida who saw Hermida play in Georgia growing up. The Indians are in the market for an outfielder while the Diamondbacks, who will lose Adam Dunn, could take a chance on Hermida hoping a competitive lineup with a lot of opportunities will turn his struggling career around. One thing holding him back is that he is very injury prone, so they might not be able to get the best prospects for him.A

Expect the Marlins to be very busy this off season.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Will Godfrey or Ricciardi Be Brought Back?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:19:56 -0500

Blue Jays President Paul Godfrey's contract expires at the conclusion of this season and it is not yet clear whether or not the Jays will bring him back. Under Godgrey's watch, the Jays have suffered 9 straight seasons without a Play-Off birth, extending the streak to 15 years or 14 seasons. Every year under Godfrey's watch, there has been hype that the Jays could unseat the mighty Yankees or Red Sox and make the post-season but every year the same result happens, a disappointing 3rd or 4th place finish(except in 2006 when they finished 2nd) while being 10 or more games behind the Wild Card. Every year it's something different. In the early 2000's the Jays had Championship quality hitting but had AAA pitchers. When Gord Ash was let go and JP Ricciardi brought in, hope was restored but the same result happend. But instead of having the Championship hitting, the Jays now had a lack luster bullpen, an average rotation and a middle of the road line up. Fast forward a few years to 2008 and the Jays have one of the best rotations, the best bullpen but now have the most inconsistent line up in baseball(especially with RISP). So, over the course of Paul Godfrey's 9 year tenure, the Jays have 180'ed and can't seem to find the right mixture of quality hitters, starters and relievers that will let them contend for a Play-Off spot.

JP Ricciardi still has 2 years left on his contract extention from 2005 but has an opt-out clause that gives him the power to leave if Paul Godfrey is no longer President of the franchise. Ricciardi has been nothing short of a disappointment for the Jays as he's gone through 4 managers in his 7 year tenure (Carlos Tosca, Buck Martinez, John Gibbons and Cito Gaston). Fans don't trust him since he lied about the seriousness of BJ Ryan's injury in 2007 and he also lied about apologizing to Adam Dunn for publicly criticizing a player, who at the time, was hitting better then any Blue Jay(Ricciardi says he called Dunn personally and apologized but Dunn says he didn't). Many in the Greater Toronto Area believe that Ricciardi will be gone by October 31, 2008. Who would replace him though? The popular choice among fans is Cito Gasto, who many believe is owed the spot because of what happend in the mid-1990's. Oher options that could help the Jays in the front office include Cincinnati Reds Special Assistant Bill Bavasi(brother of ex-Jays GM Peter Bavasi), Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Mets MLB Scout Wayne Krivsky, former MLB Executive Of The Year Cam Bonifay or San Diego Padres Front Office Assistant Paul DePodesta.

Posted by Will McComb

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Mark Reynolds swinging for history

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:53:03 -0500

Hermida to Royals, Indians, or Diamondbacks?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:02:36 -0500

Expect the Marlins to be very busy this off season.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

5 Hitting Stat Leaders You Certainly Did Not Know

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:35:47 -0500

#1 Extra Base Hit: Aubrey Huff
A lot was made the past few days of Stephen Drews 40, 10, & 20 splits so one might have thought he was the extra base hit leader. Some may have thought Albert Pujols the best hitter in baseball had the most extra base hits. Others may have gone with Hamilton or Utley or Wright or Braun or any of the studs in the league right now. Would anybody have thought it was Aubrey Huff who has the most extra base hits in baseball?

#6 Grounded into Double Play: Derek Jeter
Here's a stat most probably didn't know about the disappointing Yankees this year; Derek Jeter hits into a ton of double plays. He's certainly having a down year average wise and overall stat wise but his 26 double plays have consistantly been rally killers.

#1 Pitcher Per Plate Apperance: Nick Swisher
I would have thought the Greek God of Walks would have dominated this category or hitters like Adam Dunn, Ryan Howard, Jack Cust etc. Players that either strike out, walk or hit homers. I guess Swisher is close to this category but he certainly wouldn't have been my first guess. Regardless, Swisher sees over 4.5 pitches per plate appearance and is certainly a key contributor for the White Sox grinding away starters.

#1 Hit By Pitch: Chase Utley
Utley is certainly an old school player and I guess I can't say I'm surprised by the fact he is leading baseball in getting drilled. But he is smallish and should be able to get out of the way of pitches, unlike the large man that trails him by 7 Jason Giambi. I guess its obvious that Utley doesn't really want to get out of the way.

#11 Stolen Bases: Matt Kemp
I knew Kemp was a great athlete coming into this season and that he had a chance of going 20/20 if actually given the paying time he deserved. But did you have any idea that the man has 35 steals this year? Only 3 behind teammate Juan Pierre.

Will Godfrey or Ricciardi Be Brought Back?

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:52:17 -0500

Posted by Will McComb

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Playing the Field

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:28:55 -0500

Well there isn't much to do this week but speculate, so let's take a look at the potential Cubs first round playoff opponent. There's a poll at the end of the post.

New York Mets - 65% odds to make the playoffs

Scenario: If Mets win the Wild Card, they'll be the Cubs first round opponent.

Category	#	NL Rank
RS	775	2nd
RA	688	6th
BA	.267	4th
OBP	.341	4th
SLG	.424	6th
HR	170	6th
Starters' ERA	3.98	5th
Relievers' ERA	4.21	10th
K/9 Rate	7.20	6th
Team Defensive Efficiency	.704	3rd

What They're Good At: Throwing Johan Santana, scoring runs and making plays in the field.

What They're Bad At: Relieving.

Why The Cubs Don't Want to Play Them: If the Mets clinch before Sunday, that means Johan Santana in Game 1 and he's been aces since the break (2.34 ERA). While certainly below the level of the Cubs starting pitchers, Oliver Perez, Pedro Martinez, Mike Pelfrey and possibly John Maine all have the potential to scrounge up an excellent outing. Although they've performed as a unit better against lefties than righties, they do load up on lefties against the Cubs mostly righty staff and the quartet of Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Delgado is quite formidable.

Los Angeles Dodgers - 91.51% odds to make the playoffs

Scenario: If Brewers win the Wild Card, Cubs will play the division winner with the worst record.

Category	#	NL Rank
RS	665	13th
RA	626	1st
BA	.262	6th
OBP	.330	7th
SLG	.394	13th
HR	128	13th
Starters' ERA	3.93	3rd
Relievers' ERA	3.25	1st
K/9 Rate	7.50	5th
Team Defensive Efficiency	.699	8th

What They're Good At: Pitching, getting injured and penciling in Manny Ramirez

What They're Bad At: hitting, especially with any power

Why The Cubs Don't Want to Play Them: They say pitching wins in the playoffs and that is about the only thing the Dodgers do well, other than praying that Manny Ramirez will score some runs for them. But their hot streak came mostly against the likes of San Diego, Pittsburgh, Colorado and sweeping Arizona. A matter of fact, they just loss two of three at home to the Giants and feature a middle infield of Angel Berroa and Blake DeWitt. They're starters of Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and either Greg Maddux or Clayton Kershaw have been quite good, but they're going to have to be great.

I guess that was more of a why the Cubs Do Want to Play Them.

Philadelphia Phillies - 99.63% odds to make the playoffs

Scenario: If Phillies blow the division but hold on to the Wild Card.

Category	#	NL Rank
RS	773	3rd
RA	657	3rd
BA	.255	10th
OBP	.332	6th
SLG	.436	2nd
HR	208	1st
Starters' ERA	4.24	7th
Relievers' ERA	3.25	2nd
K/9 Rate	6.71	12th
Team Defensive Efficiency	.704	4rd

What They're Good At: Hitting home runs, relieving, making plays in the field.

What They're Bad At: Striking out hitters, middle of order is very strikeout prone

Why The Cubs Don't Want to Play Them: Cole Hamels has owned the Cubs twice this year and Brett Myers has a 2.62 ERA since coming back from his demotion and Jamie Moyer continues to defy the laws of science and aging. Nearly as good a 1-8 as the Cubs and a formidable quartet of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. The bullpen has been lights out for most of the season despite a small misstep the last time they faced the Cubs.

Arizona Diamondbacks - 8.48% odds to make the playoffs

Scenario: If Brewers win Wild Card and Diamondbacks overtake Dodgers for NL West crown.

Category	#	NL Rank
RS	697	10th
RA	674	5th
BA	.251	13th
OBP	.327	8th
SLG	.415	8th
HR	152	10th
Starters' ERA	3.93	4th
Relievers' ERA	3.98	6th
K/9 Rate	7.69	3rd
Team Defensive Efficiency	.696	12th

What They're Good At: Starting pitching, striking out hitters, having Cub-killer Adam Dunn in the lineup, beating us last year in the NLDS

What They're Bad At: Hitting, making plays in the field

Why The Cubs Don't Want to Play Them: The trio of Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Randy Johnson could be a bit intimidating and the bullpen is "good enough". Ted Lilly might throw a fastball to Chris Young as well.

And for comparision's sake, a look at the Cubs statistical dominance. It's a shame they just don't play these on paper.

Chicago Cubs

Category	#	NL Rank
RS	829	1st
RA	641	2nd
BA	.278	1st
OBP	.355	1st
SLG	.444	1st
HR	177	5th
Starters' ERA	3.76	1st
Relievers' ERA	3.98	5th
K/9 Rate	7.82	1st
Team Defensive Efficiency	.713	1st

What They're Good At: Just about everything.

What They're Bad At: the 7th inning

Why No One Wants to Play the Cubs: Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and even Ted Lilly can shut down any lineup. If you don't have a lead going into the 8th inning, you won't have one to end the game. If you are leading late in the game, there's a good chance the Cubs will be leading to the end the game. The entire lineup doesn't consist of one easy out...not even the pitcher in some cases.

I don't think it matters much who the Cubs end up playing at what point. I think the Phillies are probably the best team besides the Cubs right now and fully expect the Cubs to see them in the NLCS. If I had a choice, I'd take the Dodgers as the first round opponent, the chances of Furcal and/or Kent being ready seems pretty slim and the Cubs can just workaround Manny Ramirez. If the Brewers somehow right the ship this week and get Sheets and/or Yovani Gallardo available and healthy in the playoffs, they're about the only other team that could put a scare into the Cubs.

Nationals Looking to Score Big?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:52:57 -0500

According to the Washington Post, the Nationals plan to be very aggressive this offseason and will look to add a veteran pitcher as well as a power hitting player to help shape their lineup. The Washington Post believes the Nationals can take on a salary like Mark Teixeira or Adam Dunn, but they will need to convince him to take different amounts annually, so it fits into the Nationals payroll. One thing that could block the Nationals from landing a player like this is that both players are represented by Scott Boras and Boras is very big on annual salary. He is also known to shape his players contracts around the media opportunities in that city. Moving a prime time player like Teixeira in his prime to Washington isn't exactly a good idea. However, that doesn't mean the Nationals cannot land a big name player. The Nationals could package a deal together for Matt Holliday, or maybe Robinson Cano, to fill the void at second base.

As for pitching, I have been informed that the Nationals have some interest in Mike Hampton, as well as Braden Looper. For the Nationals, there best chance of improving is moving through trades and mostly small signings. Making a trade for Kevin Millar, if the Orioles make a serious run for Kevin Millar, would desperately help their squad. Several teams have failed to sign veteran pitchers who actually produce, so I wouldn't recommend that. But going after Oliver Perez, or making a trade for a pitcher like Jason Marquis, could prove to be a good move for the team.

Diamondbacks complete 4-game sweep of Giants

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:41:05 -0500

Photo: AP/Ross D. Franklin The Skinny: Adam Dunn's rbi single scored Conor Jackson, breaking a 2-2 tie, and giving the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants, completing a 4-game sweep. The D-Backs scratched out a 2-1 lead in the 6th inning against National League Cy Young favorite T