SnakeBytes, 1/21: Salt River Fields Forever

Less than a month till pitchers and catchers report, and there are plenty of players already milling round Salt River Fields. Got the news my spring training tickets have been printed, so I look forward to opening the envelope and smelling... Is that freshly-cut grass wafting out from within? Here's this week's round-up of stuff, including a particularly large batch of "former Diamondback" information, of one kind or another...

News (more)

• [AZCentral] Hudson: Diamondbacks 'hungry' for more - "It made us all hungry for more right away," pitcher Daniel Hudson said. "It left us with an empty feeling in our stomachs. A lot of guys took (the loss to the Brewers) to heart."
• [dbacks.com] Salt River facilities awe Fantasy Camp players - If it's January, it must be Fantasy Camp. Steve Gilbert is doing his annual report from there - for the first time, being held at Salt River Fields. "This one time, at Fantasy Camp..."
  
• [KTAR] Saunders agrees Braun should lose MVP award if banned - "I don't know if you can take it back. I'm not sure about the rules on that. But definitely if it comes true and he was proven that he did use it, I don't see why Kemp shouldn't get it. I thought Kemp should have got it in the first place."
• [AZCentral] Diamondbacks' front office gambles on payroll "That's a credit to Ken (Kendrick) and ownership," CEO Derrick Hall said this week. "We now have some pressure to increase revenues, but we think we can."

Former D-backs

• [BusinessGhana] Ex-Major League closer Byung-hyun Kim pleased to pitch in S. Korea - "Kim will receive 500 million won (US$440,920) this season, his first in the KBO, plus 1 billion won in a signing bonus and a club option for 100 million won. He will be wearing No. 49, the same number he wore in his heyday with the Arizona Diamondbacks."
• Twitter / @jcrasnick: The #Athletics are shopping 1B Brandon Allen, says a BB source. - Well, that didn't take long...
• [baltimoresun.com] Orioles sign Armando Galarraga - - "Multiple media outlets from Venezuela have reported that the Orioles have signed right-hander Armando Galarraga to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training." Good luck with that...
• [Canada.com] Jays avoid arbitration with Johnson, Villanueva, Francisco - Kelly Johnson will earn $6.375 million from Toronto in 2012.
• [seattlepi.com] Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson headed to Mariners Hall of Fame - "Star pitcher Randy Johnson and catcher Dan Wilson will be inducted to the Mariners Hall of Fame on July 28, the team announced Tuesday. " He's still not going to Cooperstown in a Mariners hat, sorry...

Around the NLOL West

• Rockies bring Jamie Moyer aboard: I see their youth policy is in full effect. Moyer made his major-league debut about the same time Daniel Hudson was conceived, in June 1986.
• James Loney Signs For $6.375 Million, Avoids Arbitration - I particularly enjoyed this sentence: "The Dodgers now have $78.975 million committed to 16 players for 2012, with another $22.2 million (roughly) in dead money." That's money paid to those no longer on the roster. Wow.
• The Frustration of the Giants Offseason in a Borrowed Graph - "The mood ring around these parts is mostly glowing the color of bitter, though." Yeah, if I had a $130 million payroll, I'd want a bit more for my money. But then, we're not paying near-$30 million to Barry Zito and the released Aaron Rowand.
  
• Making a Baseball String Bracelet - Anyone think Padres' fans have more or less given up on the season already?

News (less)

• [dbacks.com] D-backs host first Most Valuable Partner Awards - AZ SnakePit... Not invited... :(
• Baseball Prospectus [The Wisdom of Uncertainty] What we don't know about baseball. And it's quite a lot. [Hat-tip to Nick P]
• NL West showdown: Position rankings - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN - "Arizona rates as the favorite largely based on the belief that it has no outstanding weaknesses, but by no means would I suggest they are the heavy favorite over the Giants."
• [FanGraphs] Joe Saunders, Mistakes & Hometown Discounts - "Saunders is a useful player but not a difference maker, and he hung himself out to dry a bit by not jumping on those two guaranteed years when offered"
• [SI.com] Year-After Effect could hit several playoff contenders in 2012 - Tom Verducci looks at young pitchers whose workload increased most last year, including (ulp!) Daniel Hudson....
• [Baseball Nation] Which 2011 Postseason Teams Will Take A Fall In 2012? In the past decade, half of post-season teams didn't make it back there next year. Rob Neyer takes a look at this year's eight, to see which ones are most likely to miss out.
• [thespectrum.com] Snake Pit too hot for Ladies Absolutely nothing to do with the Diamondbacks, but I was just amused by the headline. We should get T-shirts made...