Kuzul

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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The 2012 baseball season has entered its third month, and that means there are plenty of rumors floating around the league—it’s the MLB way of life.

Some trade rumors turn out to be true, while others are so asinine and crazy that only the naïve and/or inebriated would believe them.

Deciphering which are valid and which to discard can be tricky, but as the trade deadline draws nearer, we will begin to see more and more proposals—mostly speculation—out there.

Royals expect early production from first-round pick

Kansas City’s starting rotation is bad. As a unit, they own a 5.20 ERA through June 4, ranking them 28^th in baseball.

The Royals selected Kyle Zimmer, a right-handed pitcher out of the University of San Francisco, with the No. 5 overall pick on Monday. Now, he is expected to contribute early, says KC scouting director Lonnie Goldberg.

“I think he’s got the talent to pitch up here right now, but I think there’s a lot of seasoning he’s got to get through,” Goldberg said. “My guess is his talent and his makeup will allow him to get here when he needs to, but I’d say within two years.”

Zimmer went 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 starts as a junior at USF.

Pablo Sandoval out of shape

The Giants‘ slugging third baseman has been on the DL with a fractured left hamate bone (a broken hand) since early May. During that time he reportedly has gained some weight—a fact that has Manager Bruce Bochy none too pleased.

“He’s been told we have enough first basemen,” Bochy said. “With that said, hopefully we’re not forced to make a change. It’s in Pablo’s hands. Before he comes up, it’s not just hitting, it’s going to be how he plays third base.”

Make a change? Not to read too much into it, but does that mean the Kung Fu Panda could be on the market? I know of at least five teams who would be just fine with his weight at third base, so long as his bat is still quick.

The inevitable Kevin Youkilis trade talk

As well as the Dodgers, D’backs and Phillies reportedly being interested in Youkilis if and when he becomes officially available, we can now toss the Texas Rangers into that hat.

Danny Knobler, a baseball Insider with CBSSports.com, reported that the Rangers have “checked on him,” according to sources. Knobler did not site a specific source.

There doesn’t seem to be much room for Youkilis in Arlington, and it is not known how serious the Rangers are about acquiring the 33-year-old. It would work out better if Boston wanted an everyday player in return; however, they will likely ask for a starting pitcher.

That may be a Texas-sized deal-breaker.

D’backs close to recalling two players

On July 20, 2011, D’backs shortstop Stephen Drew broke his ankle during a play at home plate. He has been out ever since. But according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com, he will begin a rehab assignment with the Reno Aces—Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate—on Thursday.

Manager Kirk Gibson said Drew could be in Reno up to three weeks, longer if need be.

“We’ll see how he does,” Gibson said. “With extended [spring-training games], he’s afforded more latitude…but now he’s going to be playing in a real game. He’s not going to be leading off every inning. He can’t be jogging down on a base hit. He’s going to be playing a competitive game.”

Also getting close is No. 3 overall pick from 2011, RHP Trevor Bauer.

The long-awaited arrival of the D’backs best prospect seems to be right around the corner. Who would be forced out of the starting rotation? Would Bauer become part of the bullpen at first?

Those questions may soon have answers.

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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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Stephen Drew is penciled in to be the Diamondbacks opening day starter at shortstop. The reason for this is more of a depth issue than anything else. Truth be told, the Diamondbacks don’t have a shortstop on the team who can provide the kind of production needed at the Major League level.

Drew will make $7.7M this year and, at age 29, he is closer to leaving his prime than entering it. In 2013, Drew is slated to make $10M but it is a mutual option, meaning either side can opt out and with a $1.35M buyout, it could save the Diamondbacks a lot of money.

A closer look at Drew’s statistics show he is a very good defensive shortstop who gets a lot of triples. Curiously, he doesn’t steal very many bases, which tells me he takes advantage of the cavernous Chase Field to earn those triples.

His range factor is actually below average at shortstop (4.16 versus a league average of 4.41). However, anything above .970 for a fielding percentage as a shortstop is sterling, and Drew’s .978 career places him sixth among active shortstops.

Aside from the triples, Drew just doesn’t do a whole lot offensively. A career .270/.330/.442 hitter doesn’t scream $10M a year to me. The Diamondbacks would be happy with that production from a backup or from a platoon player, but not the highest paid Diamondback offensive player.

Yes, Drew makes more than Jason Kubel, Chris Young, and Justin Upton this year.

Drew is going to need a breakout year if he is expected to stay with the Diamondbacks in 2013. He would again be the highest paid Diamondback and if he duplicates his 2011 numbers before he got hurt (.252/.317/.396), that’s just way too much money.

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Before the start of last season, the Diamondbacks were a trendy pick to make some noise in the NL West.  Then Brandon Webb’s shoulder suffered a set-back and the season went down the toilet.

The bullpen was atrocious, the third worst in Major League history.  The organization decided to part with strikeout king Mark Reynolds to acquire bullpen help from Baltimore.

Kirk Gibson got the managerial job after a successful stint as the interim manager last year.  Arizona posted a winning record in August.  We’ll see if that success can translate into this season.

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Begin Slideshow

The 2010 MLB season was arguably the most surprising of any in recent memory. From the bevy of no-hitters to the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers meeting in the World Series, there was no shortage of outcomes that would have left fans scratching their heads had they been told how the season would turn out beforehand.

No baseball story line from 2010 garnered more intrigue, however, than that of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Jose Bautista.

The thirty-year-old journeyman from the Dominican Republic spent six years bouncing around the majors before landing a full-time gig in Toronto, which he promptly parlayed into a monstrous 54-homer, 124-RBI season.

Talk about a breakout performance!

Of course, with Bautista’s story written into the history books, baseball fans are now left to wonder who will be the next no-name player to burst on to the scene.

As such, here are 10 players who, in some way or another, fit the description to be the next Jose Bautista.

Begin Slideshow

For the second year in a row, the Arizona Diamondbacks have endured a miserable season. The Diamondbacks sit in last place in the NL West, 24 games behind the first place San Diego Padres.

Due to their poor season, it’s very rare they get any love here at The Ghost of Moonlight Graham. Well today, I am going to give them some love.

Did anyone take note of the week SS Stephen Drew had last week?

Drew absolutely tore the cover off the ball last week to the tune of a .500/.517/1.179 hitting line. That’s not a misprint. Drew really had a 1.179 slugging percentage.

Out of his 14 total hits, Drew hit five doubles, four HRs, and one triple. He also scored 10 runs and drove in nine for those of you who are into those types of numbers. Drew raised his average almost 20 points last week from .259 to .274.

That is one hell of a week.

And while Drew might have had an off-the-charts week, he very quietly is having a very solid season in Arizona. He is second among all MLB shortstops with an .806 OPS and currently is leader amongst all shortstops with a 4.0 WAR.

Drew is much like his brother in that it never seems like he has a good year because he is so talented and expectations are so high that nothing will ever be good enough. But when the season comes to an end and you look at the stats, Drew is always at the top of the charts among shortstops.

Based on offensive and defensive metrics, Drew has been the most valuable shortstop in baseball. Not bad for a guy that nobody has talked about much in 2010.

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

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Silver linings are hard to find in the Arizona desert this summer.

First-year Diamondback Kelly Johnson provided an obvious one Friday night, when he hit for the fourth cycle in Arizona history.

Unfortunately, like most nights at Chase Field this season, his headlining efforts weren’t enough for a Diamondbacks win.

So, in an attempt to help alleviate the pain this team has caused in 2010, why not relive the other three Snakes’ cycles?

Begin Slideshow

As we all know, the first half of the baseball season has been nothing short of a disaster for those of us who claim the Diamondbacks as our team.

As painful and embarrassing it is to admit it now, I am one of those poor fans.

Even with the shame and disappointment of the season, this second half still holds value for me as a fan.

Now, since the team is completely out of contention, the priorities change.

There is no way that they can win the division or even get close, but there are some things I wish to see in the final 73 games of the season.

Trades:

The team’s current roster does not work.

The mix of players, however individually talented, is not working as a team. There are issues with strikeouts, starting pitching consistency, and relief pitching in general.

Additionally, a once heralded farm system is now seemingly bare.

Who should go? First should be Chris Snyder (this saddens me because he is No. 2 on my favorites behind Mark Reynolds—I mean, be honest, how can you not love a guy who literally busted his balls for the team AND THEN FINISHED CATCHING THE INNING. I WAS THERE AT THAT GAME!).

Miguel Montero is turning out to be the best hitter on the team. Snyder is starting worthy and deserves to go somewhere to have that shot.

Plus, if you want a low average, defensively-minded catcher, John Hester is a lot cheaper. Moving Snyder would mean adding some young talent.

Honestly, I think a change of scenery will be beneficial. I seem to recall another very similar catcher that played for Arizona that left. He was a defensive catcher, hit poorly, but had power.

His name was Rod Barajas, and he has been a starter now for a few years. He still only hits about .240, but has hit over 20 home runs in a season three times since leaving Arizona and been considered a solid player.

I foresee this type of play from Snyder if he leaves.

Who else should go? I think that Kelly Johnson should go so that Tony Abreu can play everyday, even though some doubt that he is an everyday player.

I would let Stephen Drew go for a pitcher like Ricky Porcello, as it is rumored that is being discussed.

I waver on Adam LaRoche because of his glove. He drives in runs, but he is like so many other players and strikes out a lot.

Both have reasonable contracts for next season and have value. Dan Haren should go only if there is a great deal on the table.

Player improvement:

Without the pressure of a pennant race, the players should focus on development. I want to see my man Mark Reynolds (currently on pace for 222 strikeouts) NOT pass his previous two records.

I want to see his average end up at about .250 (meaning he hits between .270 and .280 for the second half). I want him to end up with at least 35 home runs and 110 RBI.

I want to see both Chris Young and Justin Upton end up with 30/30 seasons. I want Upton to avoid 200 strikeouts (currently he is on pace for 202).

I want to see Upton hit .300 for the second half and stay healthy. He needs to be that type of player to fulfill the expectations we all have.

I want Miguel Montero to finish the year with a .300 average or better. I want to see Upton, Reynolds, and LaRoche (if he is on the team the rest of the season) all have at least 100 RBI.

I want to see either Cole Gillespie or Gerardo Parra to establish who should be the starting left fielder of the future.

Personally, I want to see Parra develop into the high average, slap and gap hitter that the team lacks in the lineup. Those attributes would be nice combined with his solid defense.

I want to see at least ONE guy in the bullpen claim the closer job and be at least okay. I don’t EVER want to see Chad Qualls closing a game.

I want to see Brandon Webb actually pitch in a game.

General play:

What I hope to see out of the team is emotion.

I want the players to be fired up, win or lose. If a bad loss, I want to see pain and disappointment, like it matters.

I want to see grit and determination. I want to see Kirk Gibson having a tangible influence on the squad.

Wins and losses:

I know the season is shot, but I want to see the talent start coming together, especially offensively (since the bullpen seems to be a lost cause).

I’m not expecting much, but I would like .500 play the rest of the way. The team is on pace for a 61-101 record.

If they can go 37-36 for the second half, the record will still be a putrid 71-91, but it would be solid progress considering what has happened thus far.

What will likely happen:

As much as I want to believe that all these things will happen, more than likely we will see more of the same.

Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds will both have 200-plus strikeouts, but Reynolds will hit 40 home runs. However, he will probably hit only about .230. Upton will stay about .260.

I would be surprised if Webb pitches in the majors. It will have officially been the biggest con in history, as he would have weaseled the team out of over $8 million for doing nothing.

No one will take over the closer’s role effectively. The bullpen will continue to be disastrous and will set the record for futility in ERA.

The team will make no meaningful moves and not change much, which means little will change this year or next.

So, while I am not oblivious to the likelihood of continued meagerness on the field (in fact, I already am hoping for new and exciting ways to lose just for entertainment, like a sort of loser bingo ), I want to find hope and excitement about the future of the club.

We shall soon see how it goes.

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