Kuzul

Outfield prospect Brandon Jacobs is reportedly one of the mystery names involved in a blockbuster three-team deal involving Mark Trumbo between the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angles and Chicago White Sox.

Per Arizona’s Twitter account, the Diamondbacks acquired Trumbo and two unannounced players in the transaction:

Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com later helped to confirm Jacobs was one of the players to be named:

Jim Callis of MLB.com shared some details on the newest member of the Diamondbacks:

Profile

DOB: Dec. 8, 1990 (Age: 23)

Throws: Right

Height/Weight: 6’1″/225 lbs.

Drafted: 2009, 10th round by Boston

A 10th-round selection by the Boston Red Sox in 2009, the Auburn football recruit was signed for a $750,000 bonus because of his big bat and promising potential. Jacobs has hit .262 and 49 home runs in 428 games in the minors. Jacobs’ best year was 2011, when he had a career-best .303 average, 17 home runs and 80 RBI.

Jacobs’ 2012 season was derailed by a hamate bone injury. The Boston Red Sox subsequently shipped Jacobs to the Chicago White Sox last July in exchange for pitcher Matt Thornton. Jacobs went on to hit .244/.320/.407 in the minors overall in 2013.

Before the deal, Jacobs ranked No. 7 in Chicago’s farm system. The team’s site estimated his arrival in the majors to be 2015, citing his discipline problems at the plate as the main adversary to his advancement.

While Jacobs leaves much to be desired defensively, he has earned a look in center field as he continues to develop that area of his game. The majority of his time in the minors to this point has been spent in left field.

The 23-year-old offers plenty of potential if Arizona is willing to invest. He makes his money at the plate and through his ability to steal bases. He has nabbed 63 so far in his career, with his career-best 30 swipes also coming in 2011.

Arizona focused on the now and future as the key player in the three-team deal. Jacobs is part of the future in the outfield if he can continue to improve at the plate.

Note: All info courtesy of MLB.com.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks finally acquired the slugger that the team coveted, completing a deal for Mark Trumbo, a rumor that Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal had first reported yesterday.

The completed deal for Trumbo involves the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox. It was first reported and then confirmed as complete by The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro. ESPN’s Keith Law was the first to report the D’Backs talks with the Angels had expanded to include a third team.

The D’Backs gave up a lot to make the deal happen. Tyler Skaggs was supposed to be a key component of the D’Backs rotation moving forward but hit a bump last year in his road to the major leagues. Instead of giving newly installed pitching guru Dave Duncan an opportunity to work with the 22-year-old lefty this spring, the team included him as part of the package for Trumbo.

The other part of the team’s package was traded to the White Sox in the form of Adam Eaton. It has to raise eyebrows that the organization soured so quickly on Eaton after making him sound like he was the spark-plug that the team had been missing going into last spring training. Only an injury kept Eaton from making he big club out of spring training, something that was lamented as part of the D’Backs struggles last season. Eaton struggled in his 250 at-bats last season, posting only a .314 OBP, but has shown great ability in the minors to get on base.

Getting back Trumbo will provide the D’Backs with home runs, runs batted in and a young, cost-controlled player. But, the D’Backs will be playing him out of position in the outfield where he has struggled in his career. Arizona has also traded much of their depth for a 27-year-old player with a .299 career OBP and a player who has shown that he might be the second coming of Mark Reynolds. The power will be there, but can Trumbo develop into a better hitter?

Now, two more young players have been dealt, continuing an alarming trend where the D’Backs seem to be displaying very little patience with struggling prospects, but they seem to continually give the benefit of the doubt to veterans like Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy and Miguel Montero. Arizona has already dealt lefty prospect David Holmberg last week in order to facilitate moving Heath Bell and his contract out of town. MLB‘s Steve Gilbert reports that the D’Backs will be getting two prospects back in the deal.

Skaggs and Holmberg can be added to pitching prospects Jarrod Parker and Trevor Bauer as players the organization has given up on very quickly and dealt. The D’Backs seem to be struggling to develop young pitchers to be ready at the major league level immediately.

Top prospect Archie Bradley will have a tremendous amount of pressure on him to reverse this trend with the franchise. Bradley will need to be good from the start in order to live up to the hype and expectations that are likely to be added to him. It’s a tough spot to put the young hurler in.    

D’Backs general manager Kevin Towers clearly looks to be operating like a man trying to save his job while living up to his gunslinger reputation as someone who is constantly looking to make trades. This trade feels forced, like something that you do when you want to show that you are doing something. While having an open-minded general manager is good, having one that continues to display very little patience might not be the best thing for the long-term continuity of the franchise.

Trumbo might help the D’Backs in the immediate short-term, but it will likely be a minor improvement. The question now becomes: Will Towers be around long enough to see the deal payoff?

Information used from Ken Rosenthal/Fox Sports, Nick Piecoro/Arizona Republic, Nick Piecoro/Arizona Republic, Keith Law/ESPN, Baseball Reference, Steve Gilbert/MLB.com

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The Arizona Diamondbacks want to protect slugger Paul Goldschmidt, but trading for Mark Trumbo is not the answer. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the rumor that Trumbo might be in play between the D’Backs and the Los Angeles Angels.

This is the same Trumbo who currently sports a sub .300 OBP for his career. The 27-year-old Trumbo would provide power but little else to the Arizona lineup. This isn’t a young prospect, this is a player who will be turning 28 before Opening Day next season. 

Rosenthal later followed it up with a tweet that said that the D’Backs were “pushing” for Trumbo along with other teams. Teams will be looking at the fact that Trumbo has hit 95 home runs combined over the past three seasons and will be under team control until the 2017 season. 

Trumbo has also played the majority of his four major league seasons at first base, meaning the D’Backs would likely be plugging him into left field. Trumbo is a below-average fielder who would immediately impact the D’Backs outfield defense in a negative manner. 

It’s expected that the D’Backs would be sending pitching back to the Angels with Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown reporting that talks for Trumbo might be centered around Trevor Cahill and Tyler Skaggs. Trading Cahill would make some sense from the D’Backs point of view, moving close to $20 million off of the books owed to Cahill over the next two seasons. 

Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto is likely to have interest in Skaggs because ironically enough, Dipoto was the D’Backs interim general manager who acquired Skaggs and Patrick Corbin as part of a deal for Dan Haren back in July of 2010. Skaggs was supposed to be the centerpiece, but Corbin has become the pitcher that everyone thought Skaggs would be at this point.

For the D’Backs, it’s hard to see if there is a plan in place at this moment. Trading Justin Upton last year only to turn around and trade for Trumbo a year later doesn’t make much sense. Trumbo is an imperfect fit in the desert, a limited hitter and fielder who will be asked to protect the D’Backs best hitter. Unless the D’Backs believe they can improve Trumbo‘s at-bats, Goldschmidt will likely be pitched around all season with Trumbo batting behind him.

Upton may never have fulfilled the potential that was projected for him, but he is still a better overall player than Trumbo, one who filled many of the needs the D’Backs are currently looking for this winter. Upton’s combined WAR over the past three seasons is 11.0 compared to Trumbo‘s 7.7 WAR. 

Trading Cahill would also be another acknowledgement by D’Backs general manager Kevin Towers that he missed on another player evaluation, this time by trading top prospect Jarrod Parker to the Oakland A’s for Cahill back in December of 2011.

If the D’Backs are really looking to add a power-hitting outfielder, they should be looking at a player like Corey Hart. Hart’s career slash line is .276/.334/.491 with 154 career home runs. Hart missed all of 2013 due to knee surgery, but if healthy, would provide a much better player to add to the roster and will likely have to take a one-year deal to prove his health.

It sounds like something might happen with Trumbo as MLB‘s Alden Gonzalez tweets that there is a “good chance” Trumbo is traded during the Winter Meetings. 

If Trumbo lands with the D’Backs, it will create only more questions.

Information used from Ken Rosenthal/Fox Sports, Baseball Reference, Rosenthal/Fox Sports, Tim Brown/Yahoo Sports, Alden Gonzalez/MLB

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The most common thought of the week—I know because I’ve said it, wrote it, texted it and tweeted it myself—is how there won’t be much left for teams to do at next week’s winter meetings because everything has already happened.

That, of course, isn’t true. It just seems that way after 25 free agents signed major league contracts this week while eight trades were made involving 23 players, according to MLBDepthCharts.com’s Transaction Tracker. 

In reality, there is still plenty that could occur and several teams haven’t even made their first move yet. Others that have been busy aren’t anywhere near finished making over their roster. And in a setting where general managers can meet face-to-face with fellow general managers, free-agent players and their agents, things tend to happen at a much more rapid pace.  

That setting is Orlando, Florida, home of this year’s winter meetings. Beginning on Monday, December 9, all 30 organizations will be represented heavily by front-office personnel and anyone else involved in making key decisions. By Thursday, most will head out of town and several players will have changed teams. 

Here are five teams to keep an eye on, either because they’re likely to be one of the most active in pursuing impact talent and/or because they have impact talent to trade. 

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (Buyer)

General manager Kevin Towers has yet to add any talent to his big league roster this offseason, but he did clear up some space in a crowded bullpen and freed up $5 million from his payroll when he traded Heath Bell to the Rays. And he could be gearing up to make a splash next week in Orlando.

With reports that Towers is shopping for a power bat—Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that they were in discussions with the A’s on a potential deal that would’ve landed them Yoenis Cespedes; Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic wrote that they made a strong push for Carlos Beltran before he signed with the Yankees—and/or an ace starter, as was reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, it would be a surprise if the D’backs went home empty-handed. 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (Buyer/Seller)

The Dodgers have been quiet, making just two notable roster moves thus far. Bringing back veteran reliever Brian Wilson to set up for closer Kenley Jansen and Dan Haren to fill out the back of the rotation has cost the Dodgers a total of $20 million (each is guaranteed $10 million for 2014).

They’re capable of much more, although general manager Ned Colletti could be more focused on trading one of his outfielders. 

Next week could be his best chance to gauge interest in his trio of outfielders that he’s willing to trade—Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp (pictured). Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported last month that the Dodgers were willing to listen to offers on all three.

Kemp would be the biggest catch and his agent, former big league pitcher Dave Stewart, told Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston that he has a “strong feeling something could happen” involving his client in Orlando next week. Nick Cafardo wrote last month that the Red Sox had inquired on Kemp as a possible replacement for Jacoby Ellsbury, who signed with the Yankees.

With Carlos Beltran, Ellsbury and Curtis Granderson all coming off of the free-agent board in recent days, teams could be more focused on adding outfield help through trades. If Shin-Soo Choo signs over the weekend or early next week, Colletti might be the most popular man around the hotel lobby for the remainder of the meetings.

3. New York Yankees (Buyer)

Carlos Beltran. Jacoby Ellsbury. Hiroki Kuroda. Brian McCann. What an amazing start to the offseason for the Yankees! But they’re not done. At least they better not be. They still have an infield spot to fill, as well as a starting pitcher and at least one late-inning reliever to add before we can declare them playoff contenders once again. 

Free agency is still the likely route for general manager Brian Cashman, although the addition of Beltran and Ellsbury could make Brett Gardner expendable. 

They could also wait for Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka to be posted, although there is no guarantee that his team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, will make him available this year, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Instead, they could focus their attention on one of the top three free-agent starters, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana, all who are still available. 

4. Seattle Mariners (Buyer)

The Mariners made a huge statement when they agreed to sign star second baseman Robinson Cano to a ten-year, $240 million deal early Friday—the news was first reported by Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. But they weren’t one superstar player away from being legitimate contenders in the AL West. 

And general manager Jack Zduriencik knows that, which is why the M’s are still expected to make news this offseason in free agency, the trade market or both. Acquiring ace starter David Price would be another step in the right direction and the M’s think they have the package of players to make a deal happen, according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. 

Even if they don’t land Price, the fact that he’s on their radar shows that the M’s aren’t close to being finished in their quest to build a contender for 2014. 

5. Tampa Bay Rays (Buyer/Seller)

The Rays would very likely trade ace David Price (pictured) in the right deal and 17-of-21 front-office personnel surveyed by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick last month think that he’ll be traded. Whether it happens or not, expect this to be the No. 1 topic next week in Orlando.

The Rays are also shopping for a first baseman and they’re interested in re-signing James Loney, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. They could also acquire their next first baseman in a deal for Price or in a smaller deal involving one of a handful of players around the league that could be available, including Ike Davis, Mitch Moreland or Logan Morrison, who the Marlins are willing to listen to offers on, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. 

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Arizona Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler isn’t a household name or even one of the best players on his own team. But Ziegler’s comments in the wake of the St. Louis Cardinals signing of Jhonny Peralta, first reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, were desperately needed by the game. 

The media, MLB and the fans can complain about PEDs and cheating in sports as much as they want, but real change will only come about if current and former players continue to speak out and be the long-term guardians of baseball. 

That’s why Ziegler’s comments are so important to the game. After hearing of Peralta’s signing, Ziegler sent out a tweet that read “It pays to cheat…Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use.”

It was exactly what needed to be said. Peralta’s contract sent a terrible signal through the sport, making it look like Peralta ended up being rewarded for cheating. Other players are going to see the money involved and think Peralta benefited from cheating the game. 

It’s telling that the 34-year-old Ziegler, a player who might be tempted to extend his career by using PEDs, is trying to protect the sport while other, more talented players are trying to squeeze the sport dry. Ziegler had to wait until he was 28 to get his chance at the majors. Wonder how many players jumped ahead of him by using PEDs. 

We have already seen a huge shift from MLB and the players association in the past year, with both organizations working together to clean up the game and hold the players accountable. This past year’s Biogenesis scandal was handled to the point where 13 of the players involved were presented with the facts and were given 50-game suspensions to begin serving last season. 

The Biogenesis scandal was one of the first moments that players in the game were openly critical of other players who had been caught. This article from Chris Greenberg at the Huffington Post contained many strong comments from current and former players, including Ziegler, about the suspensions. In the past, it seemed like players were reluctant to comment on PED suspensions. 

In another tweet, Ziegler acknowledges that the 50-game suspension is not enough of a deterrent and that it will need to be fixed. It will have to be bargained between the owners and players, but players need to face much stiffer penalties in the form of games lost and loss of income to make this a real deterrent. Trading 50 games worth of paychecks for a free-agent payday is an easy trade. 

Hopefully MLB will continue what they have started by working with the players to rebuild the integrity of the sport. The recent suspensions have been a good start in that direction, but they are only the first step. 

Peralta‘s new contract pays him more than $15.5 million next season, more than twice what Ziegler has made in his entire career over six seasons. If you are looking at real reasons why players cheat and why there is resentment in the game, it might come down to something as simple as that. 

It’s pays to cheat. Hopefully, Ziegler will look back on that phrase one day and think that baseball has changed. 

Information used from Jon Heyman/CBS Sports, Baseball Reference, Brad Ziegler/Twitter, Chris Greenberg/Huffington Post.

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If the Arizona Diamondbacks are serious about changing their fortunes this offseason, they should consider trading either Martin Prado or Aaron Hill. Both are good players, but with the development of Chris Owings, Didi Gregorius and Matt Davidson, the D’Backs are in a position where they could potentially move one of the veterans.

Arizona needs pitching, power and payroll flexibility. 

Trading Prado would be a tough pill to swallow given that he was traded for Justin Upton less than a year ago. Having to trade Prado to fill other needs would force general manager Kevin Towers to acknowledge that he waited too long to deal Upton and did not get enough of a return.

Trading Hill might be a little bit easier to stomach, partially because the D’Backs rescued him off of the scrap heap of the Toronto Blue Jays and the cost was only Kelly Johnson. Hill is a valuable player when healthy, but staying healthy has been an issue for him recently. Hill provides offensive production from a position where most teams are looking for defense first and offense second.

Hill could have value in that he is under team control until 2017 at a pretty reasonable $35 million.

I would suggest potentially moving catcher Miguel Montero, but due to his poor 2012 season and the remaining money on his contract, I can’t really see a team trading for him unless the D’Backs are taking a bad contract back or eating a lot of money.

The D’Backs have backed themselves into a corner. They have almost $80 million tied up into too few players, leaving very little room for improving the 2014 squad without getting very creative.

This should be a season where the D’Backs take a step back and try to regroup, but due to the uncertain contract status of Towers and manager Kirk Gibson, it is unlikely that the 2014 Diamondbacks will focus on development. Both men will be aiming to keep their jobs, even if their roster tells them otherwise.

Potential trading partners are teams that might have pitching to spare: the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams need additional offense.

The Cardinals came up short in the World Series. St. Louis has the ability acquire Hill, and such a trade would provide a huge boost the Cards lineup. Hill would give St. Louis the ability to move Matt Carpenter over to third. He would give St. Louis much-needed offensive production.

And the D’Backs could acquire one of St. Louis’ young arms.

If Arizona can acquire a good young pitcher, it might take the sting out of trading Jarrod Parker and Max Scherzer. A rotation built around Archie Bradley and Patrick Corbin would be a fine starting point for Arizona, and Wade Miley would benefit from being at the back of the rotation.

Signing big-ticket free agents is unlikely given Arizona’s payroll restrictions. Trading away Bradley or Corbin makes zero sense if the object is to make the team better in the short and long term.

The Snakes will also have to make a decision when it comes to Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy. Neither pitcher has lived up to his billing, and both pitchers are highly overpaid. Cahill might be more valuable simply due to his age and the fact that teams might view him as someone who can thrive in a better environment for pitchers.

The D’Backs have much to do this winter. They will have to be creative to do it. 

Information from Baseball Reference, Baseball Prospectus

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David Price thinks he has thrown his last pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays, according to a report by Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune, and the early rumors, as discussed by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, have the Arizona Diamondbacks listed as one of the potential suitors for the talented Price.

The thought of acquiring Price is tempting. As good as Price has been in his career and as desperately as the D’Backs need an ace to front the rotation, Arizona should avoid any trade for Price this winter.

If the D’Backs have shown anything over the past two seasons, it is that they are more than just one player away from serious contention. Last season Arizona finished with an 81-81 record again, leaving the franchise at exactly .500 over the past two seasons. It doesn’t get more average than that.

While the 28-year-old Price is exactly the type of elite starter whom Arizona needs to have at the front of the rotation in order to compete in the NL West, the cost is too steep between prospects and a contract extension. Any trade with the Rays would likely have to start with either top pitching prospect Archie Bradley or promising lefty Patrick Corbin fronting a package of prospects.

Prospects are only just part of the deal, the other piece would be working out an extension with Price before he hits free agency. Price will likely command a deal somewhere between last winter’s deal signed by Zack Greinke and the anticipated monster deal coming to Clayton Kershaw. The D’Backs would have two years of control with Price before he becomes a free agent in 2016 if no new deal is reached.

Are the D’Backs really willing to trade four prospects including Bradley or Corbin and spend roughly $150 million on one player? I would have a hard time justifying that type of move given the need for additional talent that needs to be added throughout the entire roster.

In order to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers moving forward, the D’Backs will have to use brains instead of brawn to even the playing field.

The Rays are a model of a team competing against teams with far more money to spend. The St. Louis Cardinals are a model of having your franchise produce young, effective pitching. The D’Backs need to be emulating these two teams in order to change the dynamics of the division.

Arizona would need more than Price and Corbin at the front of the rotation. The only other dependable starter was lefty Wade Miley, meaning the rotation would still be a weakness without adding further arms. This is a team that needs to add two strong starters to the rotation and also address the bullpen, outfield and catcher position without subtracting Bradley.

Acquiring Price would be a flashy move that would get the fanbase excited in November. But, if it only leads to the team winning 82 or 83 games next season due to an overall lack of depth and talent, then the move will be viewed as a failure, no matter how well Price might pitch for the D’Backs.

The pressure is on D’Backs general manager Kevin Towers. It will be interesting to see how Towers operates this winter.

Stats and relevant player information obtained from Baseball-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have been saying all of the right things lately in regards to the end of this disappointing season, but as the last month plays out, I am beginning to wonder if manager Kirk Gibson will be back in 2014.

When recently speaking with Dan Bickley of AZCentral about the state of the D-Backs, majority owner Ken Kendrick mentioned that Gibson was “relatively new as a big-league manager.” It seemed like an odd comment to make about a manager who is currently in his fourth season with the team.

When speaking with Nick Piecoro of AZCentral, general manager Kevin Towers talked about assigning blame to the entire organization, but he said that he wouldn’t discuss changes with Gibson until the end of the season. Towers also mentions that he would like to see the team play with more emotion.

This is where I wonder if the organization might look to make a change. As a player, Gibson was one of the most fiery and emotional players in the league as he very much wore his emotions on his sleeve. As a manager, Gibson has been decidedly more laid back in the dugout, maybe to the point where the players aren’t responding with any urgency.

It’s not that Gibson has done a bad job managing the D-Backs, he hasn’t. It is just that the D-Backs roster that you see right now will likely comprise most of the roster that you will see in 2014 unless Arizona plans on significantly increasing their payroll. Arizona’s payroll this season in $86 million and they already have $80 million committed to 12 players next season.

So if you bring Gibson back with the same roster, how will the D-Backs improve? It is a question that fans and management should be asking themselves right now.

This season has been a struggle for Gibson and the D-Backs this season, especially with the poor performance of the team’s pitching staff, something that team president Derrick Hall acknowledges in this interview on radio station KTAR 620. Former ace Ian Kennedy now pitches for the San Diego Padres, traded at the low point of his value. Starters Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy have been terrible for most of the season. The bullpen has been simply awful. If not for the performance of Patrick Corbin, the D-Backs would have been out of contention very early in this season.

The 56-year-old Gibson is in his fourth season managing Arizona. His resume already includes winning 94 games and the NL West in 2011 and being named manager of the year. In light of the recent PED suspension of Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona’s loss to the Brewers in the 2011 NLDS is a disappointing “what if.” Braun almost single-handedly defeated Arizona in that series.

It is a talent issue with the D-Backs; they simply do not have enough talent to compete for the front of the division without making major changes. It is something that falls directly at the feet of Towers. He constructed this team. He missed on his evaluations. He has tied the team down to bad contracts. Gibson needs more to work with.

Gibson certainly has areas that he will need to improve on next season; constructing a better lineup, holding the players accountable and sitting veteran players when they are not playing well. Next season, Arizona will need to reflect Gibson the player as well as Gibson the manager.

Towers and Gibson will likely be given another season to turn things around in the desert, but they will face an uphill challenge in trying to displace the Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be David versus Goliath for the foreseeable future.

The most likely outcome will be changing the team’s coaching staff, whether it is firing pitching coach Charles Nagy or hitting coach Don Baylor or both. Matt Williams needs to be moved off of coaching third base. Gibson may not agree to go along with those moves, but this situation needs to be watched closely. 

Information used from Baseball Reference.

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Is one great year enough to call someone an ace?

That’s what the Arizona Diamondbacks are banking on as they look to move Ian Kennedy prior to the trading deadline.

The Diamondbacks are looking to move Kennedy, while also seeking to acquire Jake Peavy. But would it be a smart move for the Los Angeles Angels?

After all, is Kennedy ever going to return to ace status? 

One Great Season

After one great season in 2011, Kennedy immediately got the title of ace.

He may have gone 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 198 strikeouts, but since then, he’s 18-19 with a 4.45 ERA and 288 strikeouts. Before that he was 10-14 with a 4.33 ERA.

One great season was all he had.

A discussion could be started about Tim Lincecum as well, but there’s a major difference between the two. Lincecum proved himself more than one year, while Kennedy hasn’t.

Lincecum was a true ace and just ended up losing it, while Kennedy was a No. 3 pitcher (at best) who had the best season of his career. Mark Fidrych anyone?

Luckily for the Diamondbacks, Kennedy wasn’t in a contract year. If he had been, he’d be making eight-figures every year.

The Problem Being in Los Angeles

If Kennedy is ever going to be called an ace again, he can’t go to a place that already has two aces on staff.

Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson may not be the best pitchers in baseball, but both know how to get the job done.

Los Angeles also might not be the place Kennedy wants to be, especially considering the events of the Diamondbacks-Dodgers brawl on June 11.

While it’s true he would be playing for the cross-town rival, fans from the city won’t ever forget him throwing at Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke.

Los Angeles would be the last place I’d want to be if I were Kennedy.

Verdict

Kennedy does have a lot of talent and can be a good No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher in the big leagues.

However, to call him an ace would be a disservice to guys like Clayton Kershaw, CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander.

There are only a few players outside of those three that I would consider true aces. 

Would you call Bud Norris an ace? He started Opening Day.

Just because you start the first game of the season doesn’t mean you’re an ace.

It just means you’re the closest thing to an ace.

Trading for Kennedy would be a decent move for the Angels as it would add depth to their starting rotation. However, to think Kennedy will ever be an ace is simply laughable…at least until he proves otherwise.

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On Friday against the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Randall Delgado picked up the first complete-game shutout of his brief career.

He can thank teammate Gerardo Parra for helping him achieve that feat.

Just one day after he was selected as the Diamondbacks’ recipient of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association’s Heart and Hustle Award, Parra offered up this gem. 

Parra, who earned a Gold Glove Award in 2011 for the Diamondbacks, raced back to the wall in the top of the seventh inning to take an extra-base hit away from Padres hitter Will Venable.

Just the look on Delgado’s face after the catch was made was priceless.

It’s certainly not the first time Parra has stunned teammates with his brilliant glovework. 

There was the brilliant running and leaping catch he made against A.J. Ellis and the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 8.

Delgado was on the mound that night as well.

Then there was this incredible sliding catch off the bat of Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre in late May.

The fans certainly appreciated Parra‘s effort:

No question that teammates are no longer in awe of what Parra can do—he’s proven time and time again that there’s no catch he won’t at least try. And more often than not, he comes away with the ball, sending the hitter back to his dugout, shaking his head in wonderment.

According to FanGraphs, Parra leads the majors with a 14.4 UZR. He’s also fourth in the National League with a 2.0 dWAR as well. And while other players may be restricted to just one position, Parra can play anywhere in the outfield.

The Diamondbacks don’t care where he plays, as long as he continues making fabulous stops like the one that saved Randall Delgado’s first-ever shutout on Friday. 

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.

Feel free to talk baseball with Doug anytime on Twitter.

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