[Ed. Note] These questions were written and answered last weekend, but… circumstances delayed their publishing until now. Anything that doesn’t quite add up more than likely relates to that.
As of writing, the Diamondbacks are six games over .500 and in a Wild Card spot. Have they convinced you to buy?
Makakilo: Yes for two reasons. First, being in a Wild Card spot. Second, they can increase the odds by winning the Pirates series (this week). In the Pirates Series Preview, I will include an updated table showing my view of the Wild Card race.
1AZFan1: Absolutely. There are 8 games until the deadline (at time
of my response) and we are 2 clear of our closest competitor. I suppose if we go 0-8 and the Pirates go 8-0 that would put us outside of a comfortable buying position, but a slightly more realistic worst case of 2-6 for us and 6-2 for Pittsburgh would still only put us 2 games back of them in the Wild Card, or effectively 3 back assuming they had clinched the season series against us at that point. Diamondbacks are in a prime position and it would take a DRASTIC fall to knock them out of a buying position.
Spencer: Yes. Tepidly. There’s no reason to go out and waste future value on a Skubal (yikes for the team that does), but a backend innings eater and a bat make sense. As would a Hazen Special of swapping someone like Waldy for a controllable arm on no one’s radar.
I’m going to say something controversial for this fandom as one who projected the team for no more than 79 wins before the season: it’s a testament to the franchise health and savvy moves made by Mike Hazen over the last ten years that this team is currently holding a Wild Card spot with next-to-zero or negative contributions from the likes of Perdomo, Burnes, Gallen, Kelly, Martinez, Puk, and Gurriel. That’s the majority of this core. Despite putting out a lineup with names like Tawa, Pavin, ADC, etc., Torey’s Team has remained good. And they’ve been good for years now (no playoffs has sucked immensely…). Previous iterations of our boys in Sedona Red (or Arizona? Purple) could never have withstood this level of misfortune and won more than 50 games.
DBacksEurope: Beats me how they have been able to go that many games over .500, but here they are. I still think this team has too many flaws and they are nothing more than a wild card contender, but the Diamondbacks could make some acquisitions, eyeing the next season. If they were to focus on rentals, I’d call Hazen nuts but trying to pry away a guy like Detmers, like some FanPosts have suggested, make a lot of sense.
Justin27: Yes, I think so. I am writing this after Saturday’s loss to the Nationals, but I still think that. I will stand by my assertion 2 weeks ago that I do not want to see them do anything crazy.
Preston: Under normal circumstances, I’d say no. But with the number of players coming back, there’s a chance for a formidable pitching staff in October. It was the pitching that let them down in 2023. With Corbin Burnes due back, as well as Soroka and Ryne Nelson, AND a true top rental starter on the market, there’s no time like the present.
Tyler Locklear has made quite the impression in his return from the minors. What are the odds he is the solution at first base?
Makakilo: His odds are high. What Has Recently Changed at First Base will post on Tuesday. This will be the link: https://www.azsnakepit.com/e/95150
1AZFan1: I’m glad he’s finally getting his shot and he’s currently making the most of it, but I can’t say that he’s for sure our long term solution at first. We’ve been here before with hot starts from recent call-ups. I will say it’s very important for Tyler Locklear’s personal career that he makes it work at first base. He’s the only one of our potential first base solutions that has to make it work at first. Groover can play third. Tawa can play a competently anywhere but catcher. Vargas is a classic utility man. Even Pena is getting reps in left field in AAA. Locklear’s only chance is making it work at first.
Spencer: I’m not sold on him as the overall solution, but I’m ready willing and able to give him all the opportunities to prove he could be. If he isn’t? Oh well, let’s go back to the DFA heap and hope to find another Christian Walker….
DBacksEurope: There aren’t many alternatives there so why not, he was acquired as a possible player that could step in. I don’t believe he will be the first base Messias we need, but the bar is so low… Paul Goldschmidt obviously would have been the best solution, so if it is either bad blood created or lack of interest, your first base situation is presented by Mike Hazen.
Preston: He’s yet to reach 20 plate appearances and we’ve seen stretches like this before. (Seth Beer was slashing .438/.486/.625 through 35 plate appearances in 2022. He batted below .100 with no extra base hits in the remaining 91 plate appearances of his career.) Locklear has a higher floor than Beer, and his .417 BABIP isn’t as sky high as Beer’s was, but this looks more like a case where we need to ride the hot hand, but still be prepared to add (at least) the other half of a platoon.
The Owners have taken to airing commercials during Dbacks broadcasts promoting their CBA proposals. Is this as sleezy and icky as I feel like it is?
Makakilo: Politics can be sleezy & icky. Could be worse, such as personal attacks against MLBPA representatives, or …(Wisdom tells me to stop my answer).
1AZFan1: It was jarring the first time I saw it. I mean, I don’t know why I need to see an ad for how one side is right and the other is wrong in a labor battle that I have zero vote in, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s sleazy. If anything, I’d say it’s smart by them to get some counter-programming out there because almost universally the MLB talking heads are pushing the Players’ narrative that having the Dodgers as currently run is better for baseball than a salary cap would be.
Spencer: It is gross. And at the same time it’s smart. They are tying the cap/floor to the great changes they’ve made in recent years on game time and pace of play. They are pandering to the newest fans who likely follow another league more closely with that has a cap/floor already. And they’re also targeting 25 fanbases that give up on 1 April each year when the slow methodical and boring “race” to massive market payroll teams winning divisions/home field advantage begins. How can MLBPA compete with that? They have no direct avenue to reach those casual fans and their argument is far weaker: “let us millionaires have even more millions by watching your favorite player go don pinstripes or Jackie Robinson Blue because we can!” Woof.
DBacksEurope: Yes. MLB should not allow this or take sides, but it seems that conflict of interests is becoming a normality in the United States, so it does not surprise me at all.
Justin27: Yes. Right now I don’t have DbacksTV, so I haven’t actually seen the commercials, but it sounds like it. Related: June and July hours suck.
Preston: Absolutely. It’s not the most sleazy and icky thing I’ve seen recently (that would be the commercials disguised as news reports trying to get old people to sign up for scam life insurance) but it’s pretty bad.
Players have historically taken the blame for any work stoppage. It’s apparent the owners are concerned that they will be the ones blamed this time around, and they’re trying to get out ahead in the public opinion battle.
What is your favorite giveaway you’ve gotten at any ballpark?
Makakilo: A small red towel that I waved during the game.
1AZFan1: I haven’t gone to a ton of giveaway games. I don’t go to a ton of games in general, and the games I do go to are not usually planned around giveaways. When I do go to games, I actually plan them around fireworks. The last 3 games that I’ve been to in the past year (in AZ, San Diego, and LAA) were all intentionally chosen as fireworks nights. That may not be an answer to the question asked though haha.
Spencer: Man there are so many. I’m a sucker for a bobble head or a T-shirt. The 2023 replica ring is definitely high though. And I’m jealous of folks who got the OG Haboob Globe and/or will get the new one. My Crew is giving away a garden gnome this year. That’s going to be a quirky one
ISH95: The Diamondbacks did that once! It was a Wade Miley Garden Gnome! I wanted one but couldn’t make it to the game. And not to rub it in to Spencer, but my favorite has got to be the OG Haboob Globe. It was odd having to wait after the game to get our giveaway since it was made of glass.
DBacksEurope: I’ve never gotten one because I’ve never visited an American ball park. I’d love a themed bobble head, like Zack Godley’s Game of Thrones’ I wrote about some years ago.
Justin27: Probably the Justin Upton bobble head I got at a SnakepitFest 15 or 16 years ago. I would say the Serpientes hat I got with my best friend in 2023. It was against the Cubs in September of that year. I unfortunately lost that hat, otherwise that would be my favorite. I sent Blake the one that my best friend got because she didn’t want it.
Preston: I’m not a real giveaway person. I have some prized items that were giveaways, but I’ve acquired them after the fact. (My favorite would be a set of pins from the 1998 season.)
My favorite that I’ve gotten in person was probably the Serpientes jersey in 2023. I also lucked out to get that. I was part of a ballpark tour group and our guide made sure to get us the jerseys so we didn’t have to wait outside in the heat and then probably not get one because the line was already incredible long.
