Quentin coming up

by Jim McLennan on Jul 20, 2006 2:28 PM EDT in Diamondbacks News

According to the Republic:

After the game, the club announced that right-hander Edgar Gonzalez had been optioned to Triple-A Tucson with a corresponding move coming today. There would appear to be several options in Tucson, including outfielder Carlos Quentin and infielder Alberto Callaspo, both of whom are having strong seasons. But barring a trade, at-bats would be hard to come by, so the club will have to weigh whether or not to bring up a prospect if he's just going to sit.

That a position player is coming back up would seem to make sense. Since the initial trigger was Tony Clark going on the DL, an infielder - Callaspo - would seem to be the most obvious choice. However, if it does turn out that Quentin has been called up, and rumour suggests that's the case, it might raise a flag that Green or Gonzalez are being traded elsewhere. This would fit in with the findings of our current poll, in which a clear majority (54%) think Green is more likely to be dealt than anyone else.

If Callaspo gets the call instead, it may simply be as injury cover, but the same could still apply (if Hudson or Counsell, say, were the trade targets). For it does make sense to get the replacement called up in advance of the trade, and get them accustomed to life in the majors. But the Diamondbacks would not be doing this unless a deal was all but assured; starting their contract clock as a speculative move, doesn't make any sense.

Another possibility, not raised by the Republic, is that Scott Hairston might come straight back to the big club. Unlike the two previously mentioned, he is already on the 40-man roster. However, as he doesn't seem to have played any games for Tucson yet, I think it's unlikely he'll get to do his rehabbing in the majors. Anyway, interesting times, and a bunch of trade rumblings involving the Diamondbacks floating about. More on those later, I just wanted to get this one up there ASAP...

Update [2006-7-20 14:37:41 by Jim McLennan]:
From the Piecoroblog:

The club promoted another top prospect, Triple-A Tucson outfielder Carlos Quentin, a move that comes less than a week after shortstop Stephen Drew made his debut. Not sure yet what kind of role Quentin will have, but it?s hard not to think back to what manager Bob Melvin said Saturday about Drew: ?We wouldn?t have him here if he wasn?t going to be an everyday player.?...

So either they?re going to pick their spots with Quentin ?- kind of like they did with Conor Jackson last season when they put him in a role that, to me, didn?t make a whole lot of sense ?- or something?s gotta give. Maybe Shawn Green is going to see more time at first base. Maybe Luis Gonzalez?s playing time is going to decrease. Maybe a trade is coming. Who knows? We may not get a definitive answer, but I?ll pass along what Melvin tells us after he meets with the media at 3:30 p.m.

Tweet Comment 0 comments | 0 recs |