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According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, the Arizona Diamondbacks have traded fan-favorite infielder Ryan Roberts to the Tampa Bay Rays for Double-A infielder Tyler Bortnick.

#Rays have acquired INF Ryan Roberts from Arizona for Double-A INF Tyler Bortnick. Roberts will be here tommorrow.

— Joe Smith (@TBTimesRays2) July 25, 2012

Bortnick, who was batting .253 in 95 games with 4 HR and 18 RBI for the Montgomery Biscuits, will report to the D-backs Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces.

Roberts was batting just .250 in 83 games for Arizona, with 6 HR, 9 doubles and 34 RBI.

He was designated for assignment Tuesday to make room for SS John McDonald, who was activated off the disabled list.

Arizona recently recalled third baseman Ryan Wheeler from Reno, where he was scorching pitchers to the tune of a .351 average with 15 HR, 27 doubles and a minor-league leading 90 RBI. So far with the D-backs he is 2-for-9 (.222) in three games—two starts—and has scored twice.

Roberts said he will miss his fans in Arizona, according to SportsIllustrated.com:

“That’s going to be the number one thing that’s going to be tough for me,” Roberts said. “I’ll definitely miss my teammates. I’ll definitely miss the fans that supported me when things were good and when things were bad. That’s going to be the thing that hits home the most. Four years here, building friendships knowing everybody from (team president) Derrick Hall to the batboys.”

He likely will play some third base in Tampa Bay while superstar Evan Longoria rehabs his torn left hamstring. Longoria has been out since May 1.

After the Rays best player returns, Roberts could return to the utility role for which he became beloved over the past four years in Arizona.

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According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, Justin Upton isn’t going anywhere during the 2012 season.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, team president Derrick Hall told reporters that there was “close to a 100 percent chance that nothing happens” with Upton and that, “We’re in no hurry to move this guy—nor do we think we need to.”

“Everybody in this organization is open for discussion and conversation, including Justin Upton. If people call, we’re going to listen. We’ve had a lot of people call, and we’ve said, ‘No, thank you’ to all of them. That hasn’t changed,” Hall said.

Trade rumors have been swirling around the young star for quite some time but, for now, it appears Upton will stay put.

Prior to this statement, Upton had been linked to the Yankees, Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Pirates, Tigers and Braves.

Thus far through the 2012 season, Upton is slashing .276/.362/.412 with eight home runs, 41 RBI, 60 runs, and 11 steals in 89 games.

The power numbers are a disappointment as well as the slugging percentage in result of his decreasing power output, but Upton is producing similarly on all other fronts.

If Upton can get the ball up in the air a little more consistently and produce more line drives, then fans may see a return to 2011 form.

In 2011, Upton produced fly balls 44.8 percent of the time and ground balls 36.9 percent of the time. In 2012, those numbers have completely switched and he produces 33.2 percent fly balls and 45.7 percent ground balls.

Recently, the Diamondbacks have won four games straight moving, to 48-48 on the year and just 4.5 games out of the NL Wild Card.

Put your money on the Diamondbacks transitioning into buying mode come the trade deadline.

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On Sunday afternoon, news broke that Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Trevor Bauer had been removed from his Triple-A start after only 50 pitches. Shortly thereafter, Jack Magruder of FoxSportsArizona.com reported that the 21-year-old right-hander would make his big-league debut on Thursday against the Atlanta Braves.

Bauer will start in place of Joe Saunders, who was placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation on Saturday.

Selected by the Diamondbacks with the third overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player draft, Bauer enjoyed a spectacular season at UCLA, where he went 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA and led all NCAA pitchers with 203 strikeouts. He also fired 10 complete games, including nine consecutive games to conclude the season.

As one would expect, Bauer garnered every award under the sun for his dominance in 2011: Golden Spikes Award, Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year and Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year. In his career at UCLA, Bauer set the school record for wins (34), strikeouts (460) and innings pitched (373.1).

Signing shortly after his selection, Bauer wasted no time making an impact in the professional ranks, as he was promptly assigned to High-A Visalia of the California League. The right-hander made three starts spanning nine innings, posting an impressive 17 K/4 BB mark in the process.

The Diamondbacks remained aggressive, promoting him to Double-A Mobile where he ultimately made four starts. However, success didn’t come as easily for Bauer in the Southern League, as his heavy workload over the course of the season likely led to fatigue during the final month.

The right-hander registered a 7.56 ERA—although his SIERA sat at an impressive 3.44—over 16.2 innings for Mobile, allowing 20 hits and eight walks while picking up 26 strikeouts. Despite allowing 17 earned runs in 25.2 innings, Bauer still showcased his frontline starter potential by posting an eye-popping 15.09 K/9 rate.

While there was speculation that a strong spring training might earn him a spot in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, Bauer struggled with his command—primarily with his fastball—and was subsequently assigned to Double-A. However, it was obvious that the hard-throwing youngster wasn’t far away from making an impact in the major leagues.

Although he didn’t quite show the improved command that the organization had hoped, Bauer was exceptional in his eight starts for Mobile, going 7-1 with a 1.68 ERA, 3.24 SIERA, 11.17 K/9 and 4.84 BB/9 in 48.3 innings. Clearly pitching well above the league standards, Bauer was promoted to Triple-A Reno in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

While some pitchers often struggle to post similar numbers in the PCL, Bauer had no problem repeating his success. In eight starts spanning 44.7 innings, Bauer registered a perfect 4-0 record in addition to a 2.82 ERA, 3.18 SIERA, 11.28 K/9 and 4.43 BB/9. Once again, his command was less than spectacular, although his pure stuff and desire to compete was once again overly apparent and too good to remain at the level.

As I noted in my scouting report on Bauer when I ranked him as baseball’s ninth-best prospect in early May, I would be shocked if the right-hander wasn’t the first player from the 2011 draft class to reach the major leagues.

Known for his unprecedented foul line-to-foul line long toss that’s vital to his durability and a testament to his work ethic, Bauer employs a torque-like delivery that creates deception and allows pitches to explode out of his hand. At only 6’1”, 185 pounds, the right-hander’s delivery allows him to incorporate every bit of his energy and strength into every pitch.

A student of the game, Bauer has been rumored to have up to eight different pitches, though, upon his big-league arrival, both fans and opposing hitters will likely only see four or five of them.

His fastball consistently sits in the 92-97 mph range, as he occasionally takes a little off to generate either cutting or sinking movement—like I said, he treats pitching as an art form.

Bauer’s best pitch is easily his curveball, which receives double-plus grades for its almost unhittable pace and late, downward shape. Also in his arsenal is a plus slider that looks similar to his fastball out of the hand, an above-average changeup with fading action and a solid-average splitter that continues to improve.

There’s no guarantee that he will be up for good, as his command can still be iffy at times. The strikeouts and ugly swing-and-misses will definitely be there, but if he struggles to locate his pitches and in turn fails to work late into games, it’s conceivable that the organization may send him back to Triple-A to iron out some kinks.

However, a 4-to-5 BB/9 may be part of Bauer’s game for the span of his career and something that the team may be forced to tolerate. At the same time, he’s always been the type of pitcher who has performed better in the face of advanced competition; so don’t be surprised if his walk rate stabilizes as he gains big-league experience.

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After missing nearly a year due to a serious ankle injury suffered last July in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Stephen Drew looks like he is ready to make his 2012 Arizona Diamondbacks debut in Atlanta on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old shortstop has spent the past couple of weeks rehabbing at Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno. In 44 at-bats, the former Florida State Seminole has a .244 average with a pair of long balls and five RBI. Drew’s ankle isn’t at 100 percent at the moment, but it is in good enough shape to help the major league club.

It has been a long and difficult road for the former first-round pick.

There were the comments from D’Backs owner Ken Kendrick last month which questioned Drew’s commitment to coming back quickly, and he has also had to deal with a long and difficult rehab from one of the nasty injuries that I have ever seen.

Ever since coming into the league back in 2005, Drew has had an up-and-down big-league career.

His best full season came in 2008 when Drew hit .291 with 21 homers and 67 RBI, but the inconsistent shortstop saw his average drop 30 points the following season and also saw a steep decline in his power numbers. Overall, Drew has a career .270 average with 70 dingers and 321 RBI in six major league seasons.

With Drew expected to be back at some point on this road trip, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson will have his work cut out for him to try insert his longtime shortstop into the lineup.

After getting off to a slow start, Willie Bloomquist has been great with the glove and the bat over the last two months. John McDonald’s glove is as good as ever, and he has found some power in his bat when given playing time a couple of times per week.

Things would be much easier for Gibson if Ryan Roberts were still struggling.

If that were the case, Gibby could give Bloomquist and McDonald some time at the hot corner while starting Drew at short, but Roberts has been one of Arizona’s best hitters the last several weeks—after hitting a horrific .152 during the first month of the season.

Right off the bat, Gibson will probably start Drew a couple of times per week to make sure the ankle soreness isn’t too much for him and also to continue giving needed at-bats to Bloomquist and Johnny Mac.

Having said that, Drew better not get too comfortable in that role because the organization should look to deal him before the July 31st trade deadline.

This last year has taught us one thing: Drew won’t be in a Diamondbacks uniform come next season.

The club has a $10 million option with Drew for the 2013 season, but if Kendrick’s comments are any indication, there is no way the shortstop will be back in Sedona Red.

With that more than likely being the case, the organization might as well trade Drew, as long as he proves to interested teams that he is healthy and can play several days during the week. Drew won’t exactly field a ton in return—being that he is coming off a serious injury and is in the last year of his deal—but if you can get a prospect or two who can help you down the road, it would be worth it.

It certainly beats the alternative of losing him for absolutely nothing.

Drew is more than expendable, considering the seasons that Bloomquist and McDonald are having with the bat and the glove in 2012. Well into their 30s, both aren’t long-term solutions, but they can hold down the fort until the team addresses the position over the offseason.

Drafted 15th overall in the 2004 draft, Drew has had a nice career in Arizona, but he has been too inconsistent and hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations set for him before his big league career started to pay him the money that his agent Scott Boras is going to ask for on the open market this coming offseason.

If he can prove that his ankle isn’t an issue over the next couple of weeks leading into the trade deadline at the end of July, general manager Kevin Towers should look to move Drew and put an end to his six-year era in the desert.

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It certainly gets hot in the desert. Right now, things are starting to boil over.

Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick was featured on Prostopreps.com via telephone interview with Brad Cesmat on Monday. In the interview, he questioned Stephen Drew’s commitment to returning to the field this season and referred to All-Star outfielder Justin Upton as an “enigma.”

Currently, the Diamondbacks are third in the NL West, but they own a losing record of 25-30. It has clearly been a disappointing start for a team that found itself in a groove at the end of the 2011 season and clicking on all cylinders when the calendar turned to October.

Now, however, frustration is mounting in the front office—so much so that Kendrick went on to call out two of the Diamondbacks’ key players. In the case of Stephen Drew, Kendrick had this to say:

“I’m going to be real candid and say Stephen and his representatives are more focused on where he is going to be a year from now than going ahead and supporting the team that is paying his salary. All you can do is hope that the player is treating the situation with integrity. We have our concerns.”

While it never seems appropriate to question a players integrity, especially mid-season, the D’backs have a history of calling for players to return from injuries before they’re ready. 

Brandon Webb anyone?

While Drew has not played in any games this season for the snakes, his replacement, Willie Bloomquist, has played admirably well in his absence. Bloomquist is currently batting .283 with 10 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

Drew is a career .270 hitter who offers more RBIs, but isn’t missed as much as he could be right now.

Justin Upton’s situation, on the other hand, has been more alarming.

“I think Justin is an enigma at this point,” Kendrick said, “I know he had an injury. It was something of a nagging injury, but he’s played…He’s certainly not the Justin Upton he has been in the past, and we would expect of him. He’s 24 years old. It’s time for him to be a consistent performer, and he’s not been that.”

Upton has the tools to be the next Barry Bonds. Not the steroid fueled Bonds, the Pittsburgh Pirate Bonds. The problem is, he’s just…well, not.

Kendrick hit the nail on the head; right now, Upton is an enigma. His .243 batting average isn’t exactly leaving opposing pitchers shaking in their boots.

The D’Backs need their stars. They need them healthy and committed. Right now, that is something the team can’t say with confidence that they have.

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In the sporting world, we often exaggerate ultimately meaningless moments with lofty words like “redemption.”

The Boston Celtics win back-to-back games at home to tie the Eastern Conference Finals? That’s not redemption. Albert Pujols smashes a home run to break out of a slump? That’s not redemption. Tiger Woods wins the 2012 Memorial Championship after months of struggling? That’s not redemption.

No, true redemption, true salvation from almost unimaginable hardships, can only be found in stories like that of Brian Banks, the former California prep football star who lost 10 years of his life after being wrongfully convicted of rape.

In 2002, Banks was accused and convicted of raping a classmate. In 2012, the now-26-year-old Banks has been exonerated, according to USA Today.

In between, he served five years in prison. He spent five more with a court-ordered tracking device around his ankle. He had to register as a sex offender, live through the humiliation of being denied job after job, and stay with family members because he couldn’t afford his own place.

Now, Banks, with his chin up and his mind clear, is receiving offers from NFL teams who are interested in the same talent that had University of Southern California coaches drooling back in 2002.

According to Rick Reilly on ESPN.com, the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs have all contacted Banks about working out for them. But they’re not the only ones who’ve reached out.

As odd is it may seem, the Arizona Diamondbacks have contacted Banks as well, inquiring about possibly hiring him in a front office situation.

Banks’ specific position with the organization (should he accept it) is unclear, and Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall wants to see the young man pursue his football dreams first. But if there’s not a place for Banks on an NFL roster, Hall and the Diamondbacks would be more than willing to welcome Banks to their family.

Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com has the quotes from Hall.

“I just thought, ‘This guy needs a fresh start,’” Hall said.

“I saw a very bright, articulate, handsome kid. Great smile. You see a lot of maturity. You see a kid who has been through adversity and can handle it. He’s lost 10 years of his life, and it’s time for some good things to happen to him.”

“Someone like that … he deserves a break,” Hall said. “He got one, and he deserves a career.

“He has to chase his (NFL) dream first. If he comes back to me and says, ‘That didn’t work out, are you still willing to have me come out?’ Absolutely, we are.”

This is a truly remarkable development, and I’d like to applaud Hall and the Diamondbacks for their compassionate decision.

There will be some skeptics out there, but I think the Diamondbacks extended this offer from the bottom of their hearts, rather than in some ill-conceived attempt at gaining positive PR.

It was a caring, benevolent move, and it shows that although the 24-hour news cycle often highlights the negative aspects of sports, there are some truly classy people in the far-reaching athletic family.

Banks’ story of redemption—true redemption—and the Diamondbacks’ subsequent job offer are the kinds of things that transcend sports.

If you’ve got a moment today, hit up Banks and Hall on Twitter and let them know that you appreciate them. Not for their athletic or executive achievements, but for being genuinely great people in a world that often seems devoid of good.

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On Monday, we listed five National League players who needed to have a big week. One player not included on the list, as pointed out by Matthew Peary in the comments, was the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Justin Upton. 

The D-Backs’ star right fielder has no home runs or RBI in the team’s first 10 games while batting .212/.350/.273 with 10 strikeouts in 40 plate appearances. As Peary said in his comment, that’s not what you prefer to see from an MVP candidate, which Upton most certainly is for Arizona.

But as it turns out, Upton might not just be slumping. He may be hurting. 

Fox Sports Arizona’s Jack Magruder reported via Twitter that Upton will see a hand specialist and undergo an MRI exam to check out a nagging thumb injury that has him out of Tuesday’s lineup. D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson said Upton going to the disabled list was “not out of the question.” 

Fortunately for the D-Backs, they have the outfield depth to cover Upton’s absence in the short-term. Signing Jason Kubel as a free agent was one of the more perplexing moves of the offseason. Now, bringing him to be the starting left fielder doesn’t look so bad. 

Gerardo Parra, the outfielder squeezed out of the starting lineup with Kubel’s signing, takes over in right field. The D-Backs’ outfield won’t miss a beat defensively. Though Parra has mostly played in left and won a Gold Glove for his defense there last season, he’s played 60 games in right. 

Unfortunately, Parra isn’t quite the hitter Upton is, especially from a power standpoint. So Arizona’s offense will suffer there. Last season, Parra hit a respectable .292/.357/.427 with eight home runs, 46 RBI and 15 stolen bases. This year, with diminished playing time, he’s batting .316/.350/.474 in 22 plate appearances. 

However, Chris Young has been doing his best to make up for Upton’s struggles. The centerfielder is off to a scorching start, batting .405/.500/.892 with five homers and 12 RBI. His 1.392 OPS is second only to Matt Kemp in the majors.

The key to his adjustment thus far, as Magruder and ESPN’s Buster Olney both wrote about, is being more relaxed and swinging in a rhythm rather than abruptly jumping at the ball from a standstill. 

Obviously, the D-Backs are a far better team with Upton in the lineup. Gibson joked that he’d rather have his superstar than outfield depth. No team could sustain losing an MVP-caliber player for a long period. But for now, that depth will help Gibby’s team stay at or near first place in the NL West until Upton’s injured thumb heals up.

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Aaron Hill came over in a mid-season trade last year to help offset the loss of Stephen Drew and provide some veteran leadership. Hill hit .315 for the Diamondbacks but only hit two home runs in 124 at-bats to bring his season total to eight in 520 total at-bats.

2012 didn’t start as planned for Hill. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against the Giants on Friday night. Game two of the season turned around for Hill as he hit home runs off Madison Bumgarner in both the first and second innings.

It took Hill just eight at-bats to match his home run total from 124 last year. Some might think it’s an aberration, but take a look at Hills’ career stats. It show that he’s been here before.

Hill hit a combined 62 home runs between the 2009 and 2010 seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays. Granted his batting average (.286 and .205) were not something to get too excited about, but if Hill can take direction from Arizona hitting coach Don Baylor and put pieces of those seasons together, he could really make something happen.

This is an even bigger deal with the impending free agency of Stephen Drew. If the Diamondbacks feel comfortable letting him go and allowing Hill to move to SS they could free up enough money to keep fan-favorite Miguel Montero in Phoenix.

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As if the Diamondbacks pitching wasn’t good enough as it is, it seems they have an even brighter future ahead of them. 

On Thursday night in the Low-A baseball season opener for the South Bend Silver Hawks, the No. 7 overall pick in last year’s draft, Archie Bradley, lived up to expectations. 

Though taking the loss to the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Bradley stood out in his five innings pitched. He probably could have gone a few innings longer with the way he had the batters guessing up there, but his pitch count got high quick due to his amount of strikeouts. With this being his first start, the manager planned on playing it safe and getting him out fast to begin with. 

Bradley’s final line was 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Ks and 1 BB. That brings him to 1-0 on the season with a 1.80 ERA. 

It was a tough break for him seeing that his team couldn’t put a run on the board in support, but as a minor-league player, that’s not what the big-league scouts are concerned about.

What they are looking for is speed, command and being able to control a game; and that’s just what they saw from Bradley in what seems to be the start of a very long and productive career for this 19-year-old stud. 

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Gerardo Parra should have a secure position in Major League Baseball. As a 24-year-old last season, he posted a very solid stat line with a .292 batting average, eight home runs, 46 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. While these are definitely not elite numbers, they are definitely respectable. On top of that, he won a Gold Glove as a left fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hasn’t even reached his prime yet, but he is already putting up good numbers with the potential for more.

You would think that production like that from a player his age would be rewarded with playing time the following season. However, Arizona signed Jason Kubel over the winter, which has created a bottleneck in the outfield. Justin Upton will obviously remain in right field, Chris Young will return to center field, and the newly acquired Kubel will take over in left field.

Parra is the odd man out. He will probably spend most of 2012 on the bench as a utility outfielder who will play all three of those positions.

But doesn’t that kind of seem like a waste?

If Parra truly does tend 2012 on the bench, his value will surely drop. The Diamondbacks will not have a place for him in next year’s outfield either, so his trade value might drop even more.

Right now, he is coming off of a very strong season where he demonstrated a solid all-around game at a young age. Since it appears that Arizona does not have any immediate vacancies in their outfield, they should try to trade him now.

Even though General Manager Kevin Towers says that no discussions have taken place, they probably should start soon. If they are ever going to sell, now would be the time.

It would be better for the Diamondbacks, and it would be better for Parra. They would be able to do use his trade value to reinforce a weakness, and he will be able to find the starting position that he has earned by his solid play last season.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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