Roster Moves: Korecky Demoted, Jackson to DL; Zavada, Drew added - Parra to follow?
More roster moves were announced today: Clay Zavada has been called up in replace of Bobby Korecky, while Stephen Drew has been removed from the Disabled List after only two rehab games with the Reno Aces (he went 3 for 9 with a triple). Conor Jackson replaces him, having not been able to get over the flu in a reasonable amount of time.
It's also being reported that Gerardo Parra has been promoted, but Nick Piecoro says that Parra's callup sounds like it'll be tomorrow, along with Augenstein (as previously announced). Nick makes a good point - with Drew back, the extra infielder won't be necessary, so it'll likely be Wilson. (I vote we keep him in the 'pen, anybody with me?)
[Updated 5/13] The corresponding roster moves to calling up Parra and Augenstine are to return Zavada to Double-A and designate Josh Wilson for assignment.
Analysis
These are some very aggressive moves by Byrnes, Hinch and the Diamondbacks organization, especially when you also take into account the promotion of Bryan Augenstein that accompanies them. I imagine we'll see paqs taking a look at all of the players concerned in details in this week's minor-league round-up, so I don't want to steal his thunder. But it does seem to suggest that the decision may have been made to turn this into a rebuilding year, accepting to a certain extent, that the current players are not capable of getting it done.
It also suggests that we're going to be rebuilding from within, with Parra perhaps being penciled in a long-term alternative to Young in CF, who has really struggled pretty much the entire season. Upton, it goes without saying, is a lock in left, and we'll be paying Eric Byrnes the big bucks this season and next, so might as well try and get some money from him [it seems, at the moment, he is by far the better alternative to Jackson out-OPSing him by 184 points]. It could be interesting, taking these moves into account, to try and speculate what our roster might look like next season. Webb, Haren, Scherzer, Augenstein and Parker as a 2010 rotation? If that's the plan, then we may be looking to dump Garland and Davis at the trade deadline.
Even if the players proves good enough to stick around in the majors going forward, the downside is much the same as we've seen with Upton. We're starting his service clock, so he'll hit free-agency - and, presumably, depart for the Yankees or whoever - that much sooner. Generally, to maximize their production for a team, you want to have your players up to, and maybe a year or two beyond, their peak production in their late 20's. Parra just turned 22 last Tuesday; Augenstein is 23 in July; Zavada is probably the only one arriving at the "normal" time, since he'll turn 25 next month, having taken a somewhat circuitous route to the majors and not pitched in 2007 at all.
As far as the 2009 season goes, it may well be a sign that it isn't our year. Nine games out already, with an offense which contains more holes than the collected works of Michael Bay. We may be less than a quarter of the way through the season, but these moves suggest the organization wants pull the collective plug on things, rather than struggling on, in pursuit of a cause that was perhaps lost along with Brandon Webb's arm.
A final note on Jackson, from Nick Piecoro's blog. Get well soon, Conor:
Not sure what’s going on with Jackson. When I got to the ballpark on Saturday, one of his teammates said he looked deathly ill, but I haven't been around the past couple of days. Apparently he’s been OK enough to pinch hit a couple of times in the past few games... I’m told that he is “very sick,” and Hinch said that the club is going to run a “battery of tests, make sure that he’s fine... Our medical team, we're baffled a little bit by this," Hinch said. "It's been a long time and he's never really gotten better. He's shown signs of coming out of it and then it kind of relapse."
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CoJack's on the DL?
With what? A broken swing??
I’m a little surprised they called up Parra, but, then again, this IS the Dbacks org. They have no qualms about calling up anybody, anytime.
Jim Zorn, 55. Sean Miller, 40. AJ Hinch, 34. Notice a pattern here?
He's had the flu for a while
OF/1B Conor Jackson(notes) (flu) was held out of the starting lineup for the third straight game, although he popped out in a pinch-hit appearance. "He’s still under the weather," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We’re getting tests done to make sure we know exactly what is going on. He’s getting better each day, but not quite as fast as we hoped." Jackson has two hits in his last 24 at-bats, and his batting average is at a season-low .182.
by snakecharmer on May 12, 2009 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
CoJack
I don’t think I have ever seen a player go on the DL for ‘general illness’. This sounds more like offensive anemia, or lack of offensive power. It must be contagious because Young, Byrnes, Tracy, Drew(even though he’s been on the DL)as well as CoJack have it. I would say Clark has it but I think his problem is more age related than illness related. Why didn’t they just bring up a player from the independent league. They’ve brought up every other player from the minors who is batting over or close to .300. Unfortunately for us fans, watching this team lose night in, night out is becoming sickenning. I think I should call out from work with a general illness.
Clay
Seems like a really cool guy. I spoke to him for about ten minutes at one of the spring training games and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. He also explained to me the proper phonetics for his middle name.
I hope he does well.
Wear your own fur.
I assume
you saw the NYTimes article, too?
Jim Zorn, 55. Sean Miller, 40. AJ Hinch, 34. Notice a pattern here?
I am not really a fan of Parra coming up.
He is in AA and in the past it has not benefited us to bring up a positional player from AA rather than making them go through AAA first.
You Can Look At It This Way
Justin Upton may have made it to AAA but he only played two complete seasons down in the minors. His third season in AAA Tucson only lasted fifteen games. Parra, on the other hand, has been down for three seasons and is now in his fourth – he has played 29 games for AA Mobile so far this year. That’s over 1,500 plate appearances with a .311 average.
In comparison to Upton, Parra has spent more time developing and, like Upton did, has earned his spot on the roster. It definitely couldn’t hurt to have him spend some time in Reno but the D-Backs are looking for all the offense they can get right now. The guys in the lineup aren’t cutting it so they’re looking at alternatives.
It’s worth a shot.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on May 12, 2009 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Black hole of swings
Let’s just hope the guys coming up have better luck than poor Whitesell. Seriously…300 in Spring Training, .368 in Triple A and he’s gotten one hit since coming up? There something cursed down in Chase?
I know. How does a guy like that go from .368 in Reno to .067 in the bigs? I know it’s happened in the past just seems kinda weird.
It's called
“bad luck”?
Jim Zorn, 55. Sean Miller, 40. AJ Hinch, 34. Notice a pattern here?
by DbacksSkins on May 13, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Curse
maybe Hinch’s first order of business should be to rent Major League. Then send an assistant to the local KFC and pick up about thirty buckets of chicken. Leave the chicken in the clubhouse and just light the place on fire. Chicago has the ‘Billy Goat’, Boston had the ‘Curse of Babe Ruth’. Maybe it’s time AZ had a curse named for them. Any ideas? Maybe ’BOB’s Curse (since it’s now Chase Field), Team colors curse(in honor of the purple and teal they used to wear), Curse of the Colangelo’s(anyone notice how well the Suns have been in recent years), Gonzo’s Curse, Wrath of Randy, Curse of the original babybacks.. just a few suggestions.
I definitely
blame the Colangelos.
Jim Zorn, 55. Sean Miller, 40. AJ Hinch, 34. Notice a pattern here?




















