Bye bye to D'antona.

"The D-backs on Monday released infielder Jamie D'Antona so that he could sign a contract with the Yukult Swallows of Japan's Central League... "I'm just going to go over there and see how it goes," D'Antona said. "I think it's going to be great. I'm looking forward to it. It's a new experience, and I'll be able to see another place, experience another culture. It's a great thing."

7 months ago damdrs1717 Comment 25 comments 0 recs |

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Wow

I had penciled him in as a potential replacement at 3B, if Special K moved to the middle-infield. After all, he hit .365/.405/.604 – that’s an OPS of 1.009 – for Tucson this year. Even taking into account the park and the league, those are impressive numbers, about on par with what Scott Hairston did in 2006. And we just let him walk away? I think this proves that Mark Reynolds is not going anywhere, and that all efforts will be focussed on finding someone to replace Hudson directly.

by Jim McLennan on Nov 24, 2008 10:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It seems

like we gave up on him awfully quick. I would love to know what they’re thinking.

"We...probed them all the way through. They're completely meat." — Terry Bisson

by Scrbl on Nov 24, 2008 11:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Other

Infielders may be available that are better. Didn’t see much of him towards the end of the year. What I did see seems to have swung a decent bat. Who knows, maybe his agent had something to do with it like wanting a crazy amount or something.

by teach186314 on Nov 25, 2008 7:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Kid

won the Triple-A Home Run Derby and was a AAA All-Star. ::sigh::

Oh well.

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 25, 2008 9:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

When you say 'kid'....

I mean, he is 26. Its not like he’s that young or anything. Maybe he figured his development time was up and he wanted to play now.

by G.O.B. on Nov 25, 2008 3:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I know....

I was chuckling after I wrote that, since he’s older than I am.

Like I said, this move makes sense for him. It just doesn’t make sense for the Dbacks. Has too much of a “Dan Uggla” feel to it.

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 25, 2008 3:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Does this move

help the D-Backs at all. I’ve been pondering it all day, and I can’t see an upside.

"We...probed them all the way through. They're completely meat." — Terry Bisson

by Scrbl on Nov 26, 2008 1:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, no,

because we lose a guy and get nothing back.

Know any pitchers that have been in the top two in the Cy Young award in the last three years? I do, Brandon Webb.

by damdrs1717 on Nov 26, 2008 11:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And this

makes me very sad.

"We...probed them all the way through. They're completely meat." — Terry Bisson

by Scrbl on Nov 26, 2008 12:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Only

if we get something back from the Swallows (he’s signing with the Yakult Swallows, right?), or use his roster spot on somebody talented we otherwise wouldn’t have had room for.

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 26, 2008 11:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wouldn't a "trade"

with the Swallows be pretty unusual? I know it wouldn’t be exactly like a trade within the MLB, more like two teams exchanging permission to negotiate with eachother’s players. But that makes it sound even stranger.

I hadn’t thought of the roster spot, but judging from past performance, I’m not sure that they would find a more talented player to fill D’Antona’s space.

"We...probed them all the way through. They're completely meat." — Terry Bisson

by Scrbl on Nov 26, 2008 12:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Unusual? Sure would.

I don’t really think the Dbacks are getting anything back, but if they do, it’d be big if we could get a piece of some of that Japanese action. Look what Ichiro, Godzilla, and Dice-K have done for their franchises? Granted, it almost certainly wouldn’t be a player of that caliber…. but still. That’s why the Red Sux invested so much money just to negotiate with Dice-K. Of course, Seattle and New York have much larger Asian populations than Phoenix, whose biggest link to Japan seems to be the historic presence of…. internment camps. (Not sure about Boston, though)

The roster spot is only valuable if there’s a decent player who wouldn’t make the 40-man otherwise.

11/26/2007 - RIP#21 - The Eternal Redskin

by DbacksSkins on Nov 26, 2008 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And sure,

there are better IFs available, but at what price?

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 25, 2008 9:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If we got Vasquez and Easley for less than 5 million

I would be down with that.

Know any pitchers that have been in the top two in the Cy Young award in the last three years? I do, Brandon Webb.

by damdrs1717 on Nov 25, 2008 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You would rather

have Damion Easley than Jamie D’Antona?

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 25, 2008 3:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh hell no.

I’m saying that since we don’t have him anymore that this to me seems like the best option if it is available.

Know any pitchers that have been in the top two in the Cy Young award in the last three years? I do, Brandon Webb.

by damdrs1717 on Nov 25, 2008 6:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Another AAAA guy goes to Japan?

No biggy, maybe he can room with Andy Green?

BTW, I read that the org got cash in this deal. If he had any value in MLB I would hope that the org shopped him and didn’t find any takers.

Don’t put too much (any) value in “MLEs.”

They does mean much.

by foulpole on Dec 2, 2008 12:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

They don’t mean much.

by foulpole on Dec 2, 2008 12:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Where do you think

all those Proven Veterans ® come from? Do they grow on trees in your world? You’ve seen Jaime play how many games and yet it is enough to determine he had no future? Maybe we should just do away with our farm system altogether?

It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Dec 2, 2008 4:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Considering we apparently have no money to offer veterans

I’m not exactly sure what we’re supposed to do next season if we just abandon all the young players. Maybe I should just expect an 0-162 season where we forfeit every game, because lord knows it’s better than playing the rooks.

by Azreous on Dec 2, 2008 3:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I really think

this organization no longer has any idea as to what it’s doing.

4/1/1983-11/27/2007 * RIP#21 * The Eternal Redskin

by DbacksSkins on Dec 2, 2008 5:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We HAD a plan

in the not so distant past. We’ve lost quite a few players for rentals that aren’t even going to be here anymore. I’m at a loss for words.

It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Dec 2, 2008 9:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Presume you mean

This report, which says we got about 200 K for him, Doesn’t seem like much to me, but I don’t know how seriously to take a report whichh can’t even spell the player’s first name right. Jaime?

by Jim McLennan on Dec 2, 2008 8:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs