2013 MLB Team Previews- Arizona Diamondbacks
Over the past decade or so since winning the World Series in 2001, the Diamondbacks have been the type of team to remain competitive all season long, but always managing to come up short when everything is on the line. Even in their three playoff appearances since then, they have an overall record of 5-10. Last season they finished a very predictable third at 81-81 after posting 94 wins the season before.
Bovada’s Odds to Win
- NL West +650
- National League: 25/1
- World Series: 60/1
Key AdditionsIt took a major subtraction in dealing outfielder Justin Upton to Atlanta to secure a couple of key additions in third baseman Martin Prado and pitcher Randall Delgado, but Arizona general manager Kevin Towers remains confident that his team got the better of the deal. Towers has only been with the team since midway through the 2010 season, but he has already gained a reputation of making the most out of what he can attract to a small market team.
Projected Starting Line-Up
- 1. CF Adam Eaton
- 2.3B Martin Prado
- 3. 2B Aaron Hill
- 4. C Miguel Montero
- 5. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
- 6. LF Jason Kubel
- 7. RF Cody Ross
- 8. SS Cliff Pennington
There is enough talent scattered throughout this lineup to keep Arizona ranked in the upper half of the NL rankings when it comes to getting hits and scoring runs, but much like its record last season, this collective group remains average at best. Prado is a solid addition in the second spot and the Diamondbacks did add Cody Ross, but the loss of Upton still hurts. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Projected Starting Rotation
- RHP Ian Kennedy
- RHP Trevor Cahill
- RHP Brandon McCarthy
- LHP Wade Miley
LHP Patrick Corbin, RHP Randall Delgado and LHP Tyler Skaggs continue to battle it out in Spring Training for the fifth spot in the rotation.
Overall, Arizona’s chances to turn 10 of last year’s losses into 10 additional wins to possibly get back to the playoffs as a wildcard team rest squarely with this group.
Kennedy and Cahill are more than capable of anchoring the rotation however, the pitching staff as a whole needs to improve upon last season’s 3.93 team ERA.
The addition of lefthanders Matt Reynolds and Tony Sipp are definitely a step in the right direction to getting it done.
Closer
- RHP JJ Putz
Putz did a respectable job last season but the addition of Heath Bell as a late-inning reliever should help to take some of the pressure off him this year.
2013 Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction:Towers continues to add pieces here and there in an effort to recreate the magic he performed in San Diego. Unfortunately for Diamondback fans, the reality remains that Arizona still is ,and going to be for the near future, the third-best team in the NL West with the gap between San Francisco and Los Angeles as wide as ever.
It should outperform last season’s 81 wins but not by enough to make a difference in the final standings.
