Since making the playoffs back in 2011 the Arizona Diamondbacks have been somewhat of a work in progress.
They’ve overhauled rosters and internal philosophies, traded away top prospects and dumped overpaid and underperforming players.
First-year manager Chip Hale is in the infancy stages of tinkering his lineups with the season just underway. The same also holds true for new general manager Dave Stewart and his staff as the D-backs look to crawl out of the bottom half of the National League West.
“They inherited this roster, they didn’t build this roster,” ESPN baseball analyst Pedro Gomez told Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat Wednesday. “They want to build their own roster…they’re going to be given their own leash.”
In short, look for Arizona to move more players as the year and the team takes on its own identity heading into the summer. The organization recently traded struggling starter Trevor Cahill to the Braves and released outfielder Cody Ross.
Gomez believes the D-backs could be in the market for a frontline player on a struggling team at some point this season.
Well, sort of.
“Don’t rule out completely somebody like a Cole Hamels,” Gomez said. “Don’t forget that sometimes a particular club can’t match up with the Phillies to make a Cole Hamels deal but maybe a club like the Diamondbacks can.”
The thinking, according to Gomez, is Arizona would likely only keep Hamels for a week or so and then deal him to another club for additional assets much like the then Florida Marlins did back in 1998 landing Mike Piazza from the Dodgers before trading him to the Mets just days later.
Hamels’ name has been whispered as one of the biggest who could be traded if the Phils stumble in the National League East. The lefty made it no secret this winter he’d like to play for a contender after going 9-9 in 2014 but striking out close to 200 hitters and posting a 2.46 ERA.
A move of this nature could be part of Hale and Stewart’s building-for-success blueprint process.
One which could take some time in Arizona.
