Kuzul

“Life is not a spectator sport.” It’s interesting how much truth you can glean from a bumper sticker. Looking back over the past month of my life, I had to agree with the bumper.

As I walked last night from the Diamondbacks parking garage towards the gates of Chase Field I was having a hard time comprehending all that has happened over the past month and what was about to happen.

The game should have been like any other game. The Diamondbacks were struggling and with a win they would even the four-game series against the Washington Nationals.

There were questions regarding the offense and whether the team could become more consistent at the plate.

There were lingering questions about whether the bullpen would be able to hold any sort of lead or would the starting pitcher need to throw a complete game for the team to have any chance at a win.

Everywhere you turned there were some sort of question marks around the game tonight but for me there was just one question, “How in the world did I ever get invited to be on the Fox Sports Arizona Pre-Game show?”

I’d love to say I had an easy answer to that last question, but quite frankly, I still don’t believe it myself. It’s crazy how things work sometimes, and this was downright insane.

It all started in early July when the Arizona Diamondbacks introduced the Legends Races at Chase Field.

The legends are caricature mascot likenesses of four former Diamondbacks who race from the visiting team’s bullpen past the dugout finishing at the Diamondbacks dugout.

The Legends consist of Luis Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Randy Johnson, and Matt Williams. Each game, the crowd cheers on their favorite Legend rooting for victory.

So far there have been 21 races and the winners have been evenly split. Well, all except for Mark Grace, who has remained winless so far.

It seemed like every night, Grace would lose by some fantastic and new way building on past failures.

Each night when I came to the ballpark, those fans sitting around me would ask how Grace had lost the previous night. I would recount the tales of failure.

My kids suggested that I build a website to chronicle Grace’s exploits and give people a place to catch up on what was happening in the Legends races.

They suggested Let Grace Win so everyone knew we were pulling for Grace to finally win a race.

I agreed and threw a website together over a weekend. I’ve continued to document each race while incorporating what I hope is a little humor into the tale. I didn’t really expect this to be too big; I honestly thought maybe my family and a few friends would ever see it or read it.

That may be where I made the mistake. Shortly after the site went live, I began getting emails and comments from complete strangers who stumbled upon the site and enjoyed what they read.

Perhaps the two messages that shocked me the most came from the Diamondbacks themselves and also from Fox Sports. Both of these organizations came across the web site and had passed it along.

Before I knew it, this little website started getting picked up and linked to by fans. The culmination was an email I received from Fox Sports Arizona asking if I would be willing to appear on the Diamondbacks pre-game show.

This is one of those things where you always wanted to add it to your Bucket List but you knew that if you did, no one would ever believe you and it would be impossible to ever do.

I mean, I’m just a guy from Section 132, what could I ever do to be on the Diamondbacks telecast? Well, I guess I found an answer to that question.

As I entered the stadium, I made my way to the Miller Lite Diamond Club where Fox Sports Arizona broadcasts the pre-game show. There on the set were television personalities Brad Steinke and Joe Borowski.

It’s a little surreal standing there watching people that you only know through seeing them on your television. Everyone was extremely friendly and very personable making me feel at home and relaxed.

I was told I would be on Segment 3 which I have no idea what that meant (I think that means after the third commercial). After Segment 2 was completed Borowski left his seat so that I could sit down.

I was tempted to tell him he once cost me $75 in Fantasy Baseball and as a result I had cursed his dog but I decided to just let bygones be bygones.

Besides, I don’t even know if he has a dog and I would feel really bad if he broke down and cried because something happened to it after I cursed it.

They gave me a head set with microphone and we did a sound check. I was somewhat amazed that I could count to ten given how nervous I had become.

I still remember the words of advice that my son and daughter gave me before I left, “Dad, whatever you do, don’t embarrass us. We have friends here.” Wow, no pressure there.

I was startled back into reality by a voice in my ear. I think I was a little freaked since I had no idea who the voice was or why he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear. Before I could question it, the commercial break was over and there I was live on television.

Brad asked me questions about the website and why I created it. After talking for a bit, they brought in Mark Grace, who described how he felt about continually losing and how much he appreciated the website and the support.

My 15 minutes of fame ended up being probably a couple of minutes long on live television. From the number of text messages and emails I received, at least nine people saw me, so I’m feeling pretty good about that.

The website seems to be busy, according to the web statistics I’ve now had 52,265 visitors in just under a month.

From the comments, everyone is cheering for Mark Grace and hoping his Legend is finally able to win.

As for me, I’ll keep going to the games and actively rooting for Grace. After all, you never quite know what is going to happen when you cheer for the home team.

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Just a day after I had written off Brandon Webb’s season, he pops up in the news. I was correct in my supposition that he will not start again this year, but he may yet actually pitch (but call me skeptical).

Here is what Webb had to say about it:

“I think starting is now out of the question. Starting is unrealistic.”

“My arm feels good, but in order to face some batters, I need to get some more velocity. That’s the only thing that is standing in my way right now. I feel like if I get my velocity, if I throw a couple of ‘pens and a couple of simulated games, it’ll be right around Sept. 1 and no Minor Leagues are going to be playing, they’ll be done. I’ll have to throw out of the ‘pen here.”

Webb in the bullpen. Too bad it’s too late for the team. They could have used an arm like that a long time ago.

Of course, had he been able to pitch earlier in the year, the team would probably not be in the situation it is in now. That’s the difference an ace makes.

Webb – Haren = success on team

Webb + Haren = team success

Haren – Webb = disaster on team

Now don’t mistake this with saying that Haren is not a very good or even a great pitcher, but he has not been the ace that Webb was, and an ace makes a difference on the team.

We will soon find out if he can get back to that form. One thing I know is that if he can pitch in the bullpen, he will by default be the best option to close.

Follow me on Twitter: @happytrappedfan

You can also find me on Facebook as The (Happily) Trapped Fan

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No, this is not about a pitcher that gets better with age. This is simply about how a fan favorite and team ace can, in just a couple of years, become forgotten and seemingly disappear.

Brandon Webb’s career started with a bang, debuting in New York in 2003 and out-dueling Tom Glavine with seven scoreless innings and ten strikeouts. He finished his rookie season 10-9 with an ERA of 2.84. He was spectacular.

His sophomore season was a struggle. He battled control all season, leading the league in losses (16), walks (119), and wild pitches (17). In his defense, there was no defense behind him (Alex Cintron and Scott Hairston were his middle infielders) and the team was terrible. Even still, his ERA was a solid 3.59.

After a much improved 2005 campaign, he earned himself a $28 million contract.

With his new contract, Webb became a star in 2006, winning the National League Cy Young award with 16 wins, three shutouts, and only 50 walks. His sinker was considered the best in baseball.

The 2007 season saw him continue as an ace, but on a magical team. The Diamondbacks won their division and made it to the NLCS, all while sporting one of the youngest teams in the league.

Webb also put together his own magic, running a streak of 42 consecutive scoreless innings. I personally remembered the Orel Hershiser 1988 streak and how magical that was for me as a Dodger fan at the time.

I saw a lot of parallels between Webb and Hershiser. Both threw incredible sinkers, although Hershiser threw his a little harder and was called a “sinking fastball” as opposed to a “sinker” because it was thrown harder. Both wore No. 55 (Webb changed to 17 in ’07), both had amazing streaks, and both played for teams that overachieved to make the playoffs (I was in awe of how similar the ’07 D-backs were to the ’88 Dodgers and thought at the time that it was going to be another special championship year. It could have been).

Webb was the team’s best player and was loved by Phoenix fans not only for his performance, but also for his small-town charm and overall likability.

However, something happened during the 2008 season.

It was arguably his finest season, even when the team could not hold it together after a torrid start to the season. He went 22-7 with an ERA of 3.30, and many believe should have won his second Cy Young. He finished second, behind Tim Lincecum.

Amid the success he had, things changed. The team began to negotiate contract extensions for him and for teammate Dan Haren. Everyone knew that it was going to cost a lot, but that he would get one done.

Oddly, Haren got his extension first. Then, strangely, negotiations with Webb were “tabled” for unknown reasons. This was after the framework was reportedly in place for a three-year, $54 million deal.

Since the reasons were kept quiet, some fans started talking about how he was trying to cash in and being selfish. Webb was hurt by this, and even went on the radio to plead his case.

Although he never came out and said it, nor did his performance go down, he seemed hurt by how things were handled.

There was also an ESPN The Magazine feature on him and his off-day routine. It did one of two things for fans. It either made him look amazingly talented that he didn’t work out much, didn’t study video or scouting reports, and played around between starts, or it made him look lazy.

The fact that he did not end up winning the Cy Young award seemed to bother him, too. He frequently mentioned his win total and how no one with his amount of wins had not won the award unless another had that many as well.

The 2009 season lasted four innings for Webb. Shoulder tightness took him out of the game and he hasn’t pitched for the team since.

Not long after this, it was leaked that the reason for his contract talks being tabled was because of abnormalities in his shoulder, meaning his contract could not be insured.

Then, the shoulder issue went from not missing a start, to a few weeks, to no surgery needed, to yes, he needed surgery. Of course, surgery didn’t happen until August, so five months passed that were essentially wasted.

The local media and fans wondered why it took so long for the decision.

When his shoulder surgery happened, I was reminded again of Orel Hershiser, who had reconstructive shoulder surgery in 1990, just two years after his magical 1988 season. He was never the same dominant pitcher he was, but he went on to win another 107 big league games and was a very good player.

The team decided to exercise the $8.5 million option for the 2010 season, citing that basically they had no choice if they wanted to compete as a team. That turned out to be a very poor business decision.

Move forward to 2010 spring training and there was hope that he would be ready to pitch early in the season. No progress was made.

He missed the start of the season, hoping to pitch for the team by June. Then July. Then six-to-eight starts total. Now it is doubtful he will pitch again this year. At this point, it would actually surprise me if he pitches another big league game ever.

The worst part is that there has been nothing physically wrong with his shoulder for months. He just hasn’t been comfortable and has been fighting mechanics.

It hasn’t been a loud clamoring, but there have been whispers by fans and media that he is just sitting on his option money. Louder has been the criticism of his mental toughness and dedication (which leads us fans to believe the ESPN The Magazine feature was an indictment of his laziness or lack of toughness).

It really is a shame. Webb was a true ace, a streak-buster, a guy you could send to the hill and feel all but certain of a victory. He was a difference-maker. He goes down, and the team falls apart.

Now he is a dead man walking (at the very least, he should be a dead man pitching or should have been one of the trades). No one sees him the way they once did. He is not exactly despised, but he is basically an afterthought, something puzzling with a former ace.

I wonder what will happen in the future. Obviously, there will be no big contract coming. If he comes back and is the Brandon Webb we all saw from 2003 and from ’05-’08, then we can figure that there was something personal going on with him and the team or something.

From the perspective of a baseball fan in general, I hope that Webb makes a full recovery and can dominate like he once did.

From the view of the Diamondbacks fan, I secretly hope he is never the same, because then it would mean all of it was real and not some spiteful way of getting back at the team for not giving him the extension to begin with.

On the bright side, there is a young pitcher in Barry Enright that reminds me of Webb’s rookie year. I may be way off the mark, but with two years of terrible baseball in Arizona and wasted money (Webb, Eric Byrnes, Bobby Howry, the GM/manager combo), I’m looking for anything to grasp onto.

Follow me on Twitter: @happytrappedfan

You can also find me on Facebook as The (Happily) Trapped Fan

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As the calendar turns from July to August two things are certain—the Diamondbacks will not make the playoffs for the third consecutive year and it is time to begin thinking about season ticket renewal.

With two months still remaining in the 2010 season it just seems a bit early to begin thinking about next year. But given the struggles the Diamondbacks have had on the field this year, fans have been looking towards 2011 for several weeks if not months.

The team has not yet announced ticket prices for the 2011 season but word is starting to filter out through the Season Ticket Account Representatives that there will be some changes next season.

After a couple of years of holding ticket prices in check, the Diamondbacks are primed to increase prices on most seats. The increase is nominal with most seasons reportedly going up between $0.50 and $2.00 per game.

When Derrick Hall became president of the Arizona Diamondbacks at the conclusion of the 2006 season one of his first acts was to slash ticket prices for most of the seats in the stadium. As a result the Diamondbacks became the lowest-priced average ticket in all of Major League Baseball. Even with the suggested increases for the 2011 season the ticket prices still fall below the 2006 equivalent for the same seat.

Given the team’s lackluster performance for the past two years many are questioning the idea of increasing prices. It is never a good time for raising prices but looking at the attendance figures dwindle with each home stand it seemed inevitable that prices must go up if the team had any hope of breaking even.

I’m honestly ok with the increase in price. It is a result of fewer people going to the ballpark which means those of us still attending will be asked to step up to help the team try and break even. Even at $1 more per game per seat (the increase for the section my seats are within) Diamondbacks tickets are still one of the best values in all of sports.

Like in years past the Arizona Diamondbacks are offering several payment options to help the fans spread out the costs over an extended period of time. This year the team has four payment options, which is a reduction from what they offered last year.

Option 1: Pay in Full . This is the simplest; pay in full by August 30, 2010. One billing, one payment and an entire off-season to relax without worrying about anything other than free agency until Opening Day 2011. The pay in full option can be via cash, check, or credit card.

Option 2: Extended Auto Pay . The first payment of 25 percent of the total price is due on August 30, 2010. There will be five additional payments of 15 percent each due on September 30, October 10, January 10, February 10, and March 10.

This option is designed to give the fans the greatest flexibility for paying for Season Tickets. Most of the fans I spoke with are considering this as their preferred method. The team recognizes most people have expenditures during the holiday season and therefore does not require payments for the months of November and December.

The only problem I see with this option is the timing of payments two and three. They occur just 10 days apart which may be a struggle for those fans such as myself who are paid twice a month. The timing of these may require both payments to come out of the same paycheck. I’m not sure why the October payment is for the 10th rather than the 30th as the first two payments.

The Extended Auto Pay option can only be made via credit card and no additional invoices beyond the first one will be sent. Fans must have a credit card with an expiration date of 2011 to participate in this plan.

Option 3: Standard Auto Pay . Season tickets costs are divided into four equal payments of 25 percent each. The first payment is due August 30 with subsequent payments due September 30, January 10, and February 10.

Like the Extended Auto Pay option, the Standard Auto Pay can be made via credit card only and the card must have an expiration date greater than March 2011 to be used. This option like the other two the fan will receive an initial invoice but no subsequent invoices will be sent.

Option 4: Invoice Me . This option is similar to the Standard Auto Pay where payments are divided into four equal installments of 25 percent each. The first payment is due August 30 with subsequent payments due September 30, January 10, and February 10.

The difference between Standard Auto Pay and Invoice Me is that with the latter the Diamondbacks will send invoices to the fan who will then make arrangements for payment by the deadline. The Invoice Me option will allow fans an opportunity to pay via cash, check, or credit card.

As a thank-you to fans renewing their 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks Season Tickets the team is offering a free gift. For the first time in team history they are allowing the fans to choose the gift that means the most to them. The choices for thank-you gift are:

Batting Practice on the Field
You and a guest are invited to view Batting Practice on the Field. Your experience will include an on-field view of D-backs batting practice as well as a keepsake photo. Dates will be selected prior to the start of the 2011 season. Space is limited to the first 750 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

10th Anniversary World Series Autograph Session
You and a guest are invited to participate in an exclusive 10th Anniversary World Series Autograph Session, including a commemorative photo. Dates and players will be selected prior to the start of the 2011 season. Space is limited to first 300 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

Ultimate Baseball Experience
You and a guest are invited to an Ultimate Baseball Experience at the new D-backs Spring Training home, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Enjoy a day of playing catch, taking some swings and practicing your fielding skills. Dates will be selected prior to the start of the 2011 season. Space is limited to the first 1,000 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

Four (4) Clubhouse Box Tickets
Receive Four (4) Clubhouse Box Tickets to any 2011 regular season home game*. Your party will enjoy special amenities including in-seat wait service, private lounge access and an ultimate, up close and personal view of the game. Dates will be made available prior to the 2011 season. This option is available to Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option. *Opening Day excluded.

Private Pre-Game Autograph Session featuring D-backs Players
You and a guest are invited to take part in a Private Pre-Game Autograph Session featuring D-backs Players. Dates and players will be selected prior to the 2011 season. Space is limited to the first 450 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

All five of these gifts offer a unique experience and should be very popular. As for me, I plan on choosing the World Series Autograph Session. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the World Series win and would be perfect to remind us of the better days in franchise history.

My only concern with the autograph sessions is that no where does it say whether you will be able to get all the players autographs or if you can only get a subset similar to the autograph parties and fanfests in the past. I will be disappointed if you have to choose just one or two players rather than be able to get an autograph from all of the players/coaches attending.

I’m also putting a lot of faith that the Diamondbacks will be able to bring together a group that represents either the World Series team (or the current team if you choose that gift) to the autograph sessions. Fans will be extremely disappointed if the autograph participants are a relief pitcher who didn’t play or a back-up bench player.

As you can see, while the Arizona Diamondbacks may be asking for a slight increase in each per game ticket, they are offering you a unique opportunity to be closer to the team both past and present. Now if they could just promise a similar increase in competitiveness 2011 would be something we could all look forward to.

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When the Arizona Diamondbacks returned to town to begin a four game series against the Washington Nationals, I was pretty excited. Not only had it been a week since the last Diamondbacks game I had attended, but it was the beginning of a full week of games at Chase Field.

In all my excitement I went down to the ballpark early to catch batting practice and to try and put some names with all of the new faces that were now on the roster as a result of the deals made at the trade deadline.

When I arrived, the Diamondbacks were just finishing batting practice. I surveyed the playing field trying to identify the new players. At shortstop was No. 1 Bobby Crosby, who was taking ground balls from Matt Williams, trying to get comfortable with the speed of Chase Field.

In the outfield was Dan Hudson, wearing No. 41, shagging fly balls with others on the pitching staff. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like Brandon Webb was likewise in the outfield talking to members of the coaching staff and trainers.

I was starting to feel comfortable with the new team roster, confident I could identify them by throwing style or batting stance. The practice ended and the Diamondbacks ran off the field towards the home clubhouse replaced by the visiting Washington Nationals.

I turned to leave when a familiar face caught my eye. Running laps in the outfield was none other than No. 43 Miguel Batista who once wore the purple and teal of the Arizona Diamondbacks before leaving a the end of the 2006 season.

As I turned, there was No. 45 of the Nationals playing catch with a teammate. I did a double take to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. It was none other than former Diamondback left-handed reliever Doug Slaten. I can still remember my kids holding up signs when he came in the game that read, “I’m a Slaten Worshipper.”

Just then big No. 44 entered the batting cage and began launching balls into the right-field bleachers. Any fan who followed the team in 2008 would remember the swing of Adam Dunn, who was traded to the Diamondbacks from Cincinnati in exchange for power hitting pitcher Micah Owings.

There are perhaps no two organizations that are as closely aligned as the Nationals and the Diamondbacks. Washington’s new General Manager Mike Rizzo was a long time Diamondback employee who helped build the Arizona farm system into one of the strongest in the major leagues before leaving to head east to the nation’s capital.

Several Diamondbacks scouts and player personnel followed Rizzo and they are now building a first-class organization that continues to improve each year.

While most people focus on the rising stars such as pitcher Stephen Strasburg, it is the role players and journeymen that Rizzo is putting together that will sustain growth for the Nationals. I stand by my assessment I made when Rizzo left Arizona, the Washington Nationals will be a team to watch.

Positive steps have already been taken with the team being much more competitive this season than last. They may not be among the National League East leaders right now, but it won’t be too much longer when the Nationals will be a force to be reckoned within their division.

On the flip side, the last two seasons for the Arizona Diamondbacks have had a haunting comparison to the early Washington Nationals seasons with the team quickly eliminated from contention and getting dangerously close to having the first overall pick in next year’s draft, a reward for being the worst team in baseball.

This is definitely not the kind of storyline any Diamondbacks fan was hoping for.

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Phoenix was the epicenter of the July 31 MLB trade deadline this year.

In four separate deals, a total of 16 players changed hands.

From the Arizona Diamondbacks side, the club parted ways with ace Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, Chris Snyder and Chad Qualls.

Although the core of the Diamondbacks is still in tack, the organization over the next few years will see many new faces take the field in Phoenix.

Get to know these names, Arizona fans, you will be hearing a lot about them.

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Well, Dan Haren was finally traded, but not to the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, or St. Louis Cardinals—three teams that really want another top hurler.

Haren was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for left-handed, back-end starter Joe Saunders and three pitching prospects. None of these returning pitchers were top-10 prospects in the Angels organization.

Kudos to Angels GM Tony Reagins for swooping in late and pulling off this coup.

Several factors indicate that acting Arizona GM Jerry DiPoto jumped the gun and reached on this deal.

First, while Saunders is regarded as a nice pitcher, and will replace Haren on the Diamondbacks rotation, he is not nearly in the same class as Haren. Despite both having similar ERAs, Haren is much more a strikeout pitcher while Saunders pitches to contact.

Not that pitching to contact is bad, but when you add in Haren’s reluctance to walk anyone, his zenith could explode much higher than Saunders’ ever will.

Second, the Diamondbacks were interested in also having teams paying Haren’s entire salary. This money includes about $3 million more this season, $12.75 million in 2011 and 2012, plus a $15.5 million 2013 option (or $3.5 million buyout).

Yes, that is more than what Saunders is owed, as Big Joe is still under team control for two more arbitration seasons. Saunders’ two arbitration seasons could net him about $12 million over that span.

The Diamondbacks are saving money, but the money is not as big of a difference as you would think they could have gotten.

Third, the minor league pitchers received aren’t impact-type guys. Patrick Corbin is a 20-year-old who has generated a High-A Cal League 5-3 record with 3.88 ERA and a K/9 rate of 9.5. This is after a Low-A 8-0 record with a 3.86 ERA with a 6.5 K/9 rate.

This is the best minor league guy in the deal, which means the deal is not great for Arizona. Rafael Rodriguez is 25 and an okay guy, but is also a bullpen arm. Unless he miraculously turns into Mariano Rivera, or even Ocatvio Dotel, his career is not going to be noteworthy.

Except for this bad trade.

A player to be named is likely to be Tyler Skaggs, the Angels supplemental first-round pick last year. He is throwing well so far this season, his first full year, but is at least four seasons away.

What the Diamondbacks did not do is center their deal with the Angels over their top guy, heavy-hitting outfielder Mike Trout, also a 2010 Futures Game participant. Trout is a great combination of power and speed, who also makes great consistent contact.

That’s a far cry from what current third baseman Mark Reynolds offers the Diamondbacks.  

Hint for teams wishing to trade a top player for young talent: Always seek out the other teams’ Futures Game players. Every organization is represented by two players, and they are usually some of the best players in that team’s system!

While the deal clearly favors the Angels, it will not help the Halos this year. It’s more of a trade for 2011 and 2012.

The Texas Rangers are too far ahead in the standings, have the better ace in Cliff Lee, a very solid bullpen, and a much more potent lineup.

I do not believe they will stumble over the next two months, and they might be the team to beat in the American League.

So, the Diamondbacks received a lesser Major League talent, did not save as much money on the deal as you would expect, and did not receive the Angels’ best prospects.

Not a good first attempt in acting GM Jerry DiPoto’s first foray into the wheeling and dealing of high-stakes baseball deals.

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Over the past week, the prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks trading staff ace Dan Haren went from being highly unlikely to becoming imminent. A good indication of the likelihood of a trade occurred from a rather unconventional source.

As I entered the Team Shops in Chase Field, several employees welcomed me with news of a new sale they were having. For the remainder of this home stand, the Team Shop was offering anyone who purchased either a Dan Haren or Brandon Webb jersey and a T-Shirt with either of these two players’ names imprinted on them would receive a game-used baseball bat from Justin Upton, Mark Reynolds, or all-star Chris Young.

Clearly the team shop was sitting on a lot of inventory of merchandise for these two players that would have to be substantially marked down if either of these players were traded. Given that Webb is still on the disabled list, it seemed likely that Haren would be traded relatively soon.

At the conclusion of the game against the San Francisco Giants, the Diamondbacks announced they had reached a deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that sends Dan Haren to Anaheim in exchange for three pitchers and the proverbial “player to be named later”.

The known names in this trade are left-handed starter Joe Saunders along with minor league reliever Rafael Rodriguez and starter Patrick Corbin. The rumor mill has identified the player to be named later will be Tyler Skaggs.

Skaggs who is currently playing for the Cedar Rapids Kernals of the Midwestern League is not eligible to be traded until August 7, since he has not yet been under contract for the necessary one year.

Saunders gives the Diamondbacks a left-handed starter who will take Haren’s place in the Diamondbacks starting rotation for the remainder of the season.

Rodriguez, a right-handed reliever in the Angels organization is currently with the Salt Lake Buzz and will likely be sent to Triple-A Reno for the remainder of the minor league season. Chances are, he will be among the September call-ups for Arizona.

The two most important pieces of this trade are probably Corbin and Skaggs, both of whom were identified among the top prospects for the Angels farm system. Corbin projects into a number two or three starter at the Major League Level, as does Skaggs.

This sets the Diamondbacks up with the bridge between the major leagues and minor leagues that interim General Manager Jerry Dipoto described during the Season Ticket Holder town hall meeting.

It gives the Diamondbacks some payroll relief and sets them up to begin building the next wave of pitchers to come through the farm system. Initial assessments by media outlets suggest Los Angeles got the better end of this deal.

From a short-term perspective, it would tend to favor the Angels. Should Corbin and Skaggs develop into the players they are capable of becoming, this trade may favor Arizona in the long run.

Of course a lot could change in that time, so it’s anyone’s guess. Does this trade signal the end to any deals the Diamondbacks might make? That is doubtful. There are other pieces of the current roster that should interest teams making a play-off run, so this is most likely just the first of many changes the Diamondbacks will make before the end of this season and next.

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Despite being seven games behind the first place Texas Rangers in the American League West, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are not going down without a fight. Earlier in the week, they acquired Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals and now they have perhaps acquired the best pitcher left on the trade market.

The Angels have acquired RHP Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks for LHP Joe Saunders and minor leaguers Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez, and Tyler Skaggs.

When I first saw this trade I thought two things: First, the Angels came out of nowhere on this one and 2. I had the same reaction that George’s girlfriend had when he came out of the pool in the Hamptons. There had to be more.

Unfortunately, for the Diamondbacks there wasn’t anymore to this trade. What a steal for the Angels. Maybe the Diamondbacks had better offers, maybe they didn’t. But it looks like the Diamondbacks didn’t get nearly enough for a pitcher who is signed for another two seasons after 2010 and has a club option for 2013.

Here is a breakdown of the trade…

What the Angels get

When you looked at the Angels starting rotation prior to this trade, outside of Jered Weaver it was very mediocre. Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Scott Kazmir, and Joel Piniero are nice pitchers, but they are all No. 3 or 4 starters on a World Series caliber ball club.

Now with Haren and Weaver at the top of the Angels rotation, Anaheim has a one-two punch just as good as any team in the American League. Haren is a legit No.1 starter and will be for the Angels for the next two and maybe three years.

Haren is signed through the next two years at a very reasonable $12.75 million. He has a club option for 2013 for $15.5 million with a $3.5 million buyout.

Now some will point to Haren’s 7-8 record with a 4.60 ERA this season and at the age of 29, think he is on the decline. Well, he is not.

His 9.00 K/9 and 40.8 percent groundball rate in 2010 are the best of his career and he hasn’t lost anything on his fastball (velocity on his fastball is where it was last season). I would say Haren’s season can attributed to him pitching on a terrible team.

I expect with a trade to Anaheim, Haren will get a shot of adrenaline and pitch very well.

What the Diamondbacks get

Joe Saunders is your classic left-handed finesse pitcher. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff and is at best a No. 3 or 4 starter on a good team.

When the Angels had to start Saunders in Game 6 of the ALCS last season against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, I knew the Angels had no shot. There was no way Saunders was walking into Yankee Stadium and winning that game.

Saunders was 6-10 with a 4.62 ERA for the Angels this season. His 38.4 flyball percentage was the highest of Saunders’ career. I am not sure how that is going to fare in hitter’s ballpark in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks will have Saunders under team control through 2011. My guess is the Diamondbacks will try to re-establish his value and then trade him again at some point. I can’t see him being in their long-term plans.

Patrick Corbin is a 21-year-old left-handed pitcher who is currently 5-3 with a 3.88 ERA for High Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He has made 11 starts this year and his 9.5 K/9 is the highest of his minor league career so far.

Rafael Rodriguez has been up with the Angels twice over the last two years and things didn’t fare so well for the 25-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. In 32.2 IP, Rodriguez has given up 48 hits, 11 walks and only has struck out 11.

He has a 3.04 ERA in 50.1 relief innings this season for Triple-A Salt Lake.

Tyler Skaggs was the No. 8 ranked prospect in the Angels’ organization prior to the season according to Baseball America. He has impressed this season in Single-A going 8-4 with a 3.61 ERA 9.0 K’s/9.

The Diamondbacks had the trade chip of all trade chips at the deadline — an ace pitcher, who has a reasonable contract for the next two years and didn’t get nearly enough in return.

Good trade for the Angels.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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