Snake Bytes, 11/24: Pass the antacid

Team news

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks' Archie Bradley likely to remain in bullpen in 2018 - “We’re going to keep our options open for how the bullpen gets built,” Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen said. “We’re looking to acquire impact bullpen guys. We’re open-minded to role. I think we’re in a little different space than we were last year, where we didn’t have this part of the equation.” Hazen said Bradley will come to spring training and stretch out as a starting pitcher before likely opening the year back in the bullpen. Building him up keeps the option open to start in case of injuries, Hazen said, noting that it’s also the way Bradley is accustomed to getting ready.

[Fanrag] 3 best fits for Zack Cozart in free agency - Cozart could make sense for the D-backs. They had poor production as a team from the shortstop position, with a .261/.312/.411 slash line in 677 plate appearances. Ketel Marte got the bulk of the time, but the 24-year-old is a non-prospect who shouldn’t be relied upon as the future at the position. Bringing in Cozart to shore up the middle infield adds another solid bat and a quality defensive player that has averaged 4.6 WAR per 650 plate appearances over the last four years. The biggest problem for Cozart is that he frequently can’t stay healthy enough to reach those numbers, so the Diamondbacks would be wise to hang onto Marte no matter what.

[Chicago Sun-Times] Updated MLB free-agent odds - Relief pitcher Wade Davis will be looking for a long-term deal this offseason. The Astros have been made the favorite for Davis’ services at 3-to-2 odds. The Diamondbacks are close behind at 2-to-1 and MyTopSportsbooks.com put 6-to-1 odds that he will return to the Cubs. The field is 7-to-1.

[SI] MLB Power Rankings: 8. Arizona Diamondbacks - Arizona’s biggest hole to fill will be corner outfield, assuming free agent J.D. Martinez finds a new employer. Martinez became one of the best deadline pickups in baseball history in 2017, launching an incredible 29 home runs in just 62 games as a Diamondback. Yasmany Tomas’ terrible on-base percentages and even worse defense make him subpar as a starter for a team with repeat playoff aspirations. Making a play to bring Martinez back, pursuing Lorenzo Cain to fortify the defense and add athleticism, or making a shrewd trade are all viable options to solve the problem.

[Amazin' Avenue] Mets sign OF Zach Borenstein to minor league contract - - Taken in the 23rd round of the 2011 draft by the Angels, the left-handed hitting Borenstein was acquired by the Diamondbacks in a trade for reliever Joe Thatcher in 2014. He’s played a total of 7 seasons in the minors, most of the past three with the Reno of the Pacific Coast League where he hit a combined .266/.327/.475.

And, elsewhere...

[Medium] Joe Morgan writes to Hall of Fame voters - The more we Hall of Famers talk about this — and we talk about it a lot — we realize that we can no longer sit silent. Many of us have come to think that silence will be considered complicity. Or than fans might think we are ok if the standards of election to the Hall of Fame are relaxed, at least relaxed enough for steroid users to enter and become members of the most sacred place in Baseball. We don’t want fans ever to think that. We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here.

[ESPN] Who, me?! Why your team's next closer will probably be a total surprise -- even to him - Where do closers come from? Free agency, trades, waiver pickups, the farm, failed starters, good starters, bags of beans? Most top starting pitchers began as younger starting pitchers, and most top hitters began as younger hitters. But top closers had little history in common, other than being born and playing baseball. The pasts of closers, as a species, remain broad and inexplicable. And the immediate future of your favorite team's closer is only a coin-flip proposition.

[MLB] Batters are thankful for 2017's lucky hits - Major League Baseball gave us plenty of moments to be thankful for this season. But sometimes it's the little things -- and no one knows that better than these players. As you enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, here are some of the least likely hits from the Major Leagues this year. From homers that rarely clear the wall to behemoths squibbing tappers through the defense, these hitters all had something to be thankful for in 2017.