2017 Arizona Diamondbacks Top 10 Insider
See Also: Diamondbacks Top 10 Prospects
Talent Infusion: Draft Report Card
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SEASON IN A SENTENCE: High hopes were dashed from the start as Arizona flopped despite adding Zack Greinke on a six-year, $206.5 million contract. At season’s end, ownership fired GM Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale while pushing aside chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, marking the fourth front-office change for Arizona since original GM Joe Garagiola Jr. left to join Major League Baseball’s office in 2005.
HIGH POINT: In late June, the D-backs won seven of eight, creeping within four games of .500 with a two-run, ninth-inning rally to beat the rival Rockies in Coors Field, 10-9. Yasmany Tomas, who led the team with 31 homers, tied the game with a solo shot, and center fielder Michael Bourn drove home Jean Segura, who led the National League with 203 hits, with the winning run.
LOW POINT: The broken right elbow of center fielder A.J. Pollock, incurred in the penultimate game of the Cactus League season, set the tone for Arizona’s disaster. And just after the big win at Coors, offseason trade pickup Shelby Miller—acquired from Atlanta in a trade that cost righthander Aaron Blair, outfielder Ender Inciarte and 2015 No. 1 pick Dansby Swasnon—was rocked in Colorado the next night. Arizona went on a 7-25 stretch and started trading for prospects.
NOTABLE ROOKIES: Brandon Drury became a steady lineup presence, hitting .282/.329/.458 with 16 home runs. He played at least 15 games at four different defensive spots—left and right field, third base and second. Righthanders Jake Barrett, Enrique Burgos and Zack Godley all logged significant innings, with Barrett having the most success.
KEY TRANSACTIONS: The Miller trade worked out very poorly, helping lead the D-backs to sell veterans such as Bourn, closer Brad Ziegler and reliever Tyler Clippard for prospects in July. The organization’s next leader, new GM Mike Hazen, was hired away from the Red Sox in October, with La Russa reassigned as chief baseball analyst.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Visalia had the second-best record in the high Class A California league and was league runner-up, but the system otherwise had a modest, .500 season. Top performers included lefthander Anthony Banda (10-6, 2.88), who finished the second half in Triple-A Reno, and outfielder Mitch Haniger, who finished the year in the big leagues and hit .321/.419/.581 with 25 homers in the minors.
OPENING DAY PAYROLL: $89,264,063 (23rd)
| BEST TOOLS | |
| Best Hitter for Average | Dawel Lugo |
| Best Power Hitter | Kevin Cron |
| Best Strike-Zone Discipline | Marcus Wilson |
| Fastest Baserunner | Matt McPhearson |
| Best Athlete | Gabriel Maciel |
| Best Fastball | Curtis Taylor |
| Best Curveball | Mack Lemieux |
| Best Slider | Tommy Eveld |
| Best Changeup | Gabriel Moya |
| Best Control | Matt Koch |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Oscar Hernandez |
| Best Defensive Infielder | Jazz Chisholm |
| Best Infield Arm | Sergio Alcantara |
| Best Defensive Outfielder | Evan Marzilli |
| Best Outfield Arm | Socrates Brito |
| PROJECTED 2020 LINEUP | |
| Catcher | Oscar Hernandez |
| First Base | Paul Goldschmidt |
| Second Base | Ketel Marte |
| Third Base | Jake Lamb |
| Shortstop | Chris Owings |
| Left Field | Brandon Drury |
| Center Field | A.J. Pollock |
| Right Field | Yasmany Tomas |
| No. 1 Starter | Zack Greinke |
| No. 2 Starter | Taijuan Walker |
| No. 3 Starter | Shelby Miller |
| No. 4 Starter | Patrick Corbin |
| No. 5 Starter | Robbie Ray |
| Closer | Archie Bradley |
| TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Justin Upton | Tigers |
| 2008 | Carlos Gonzalez | Rockies |
| 2009 | Jarrod Parker, rhp | Athletics |
| 2010 | Jarrod Parker, rhp | Athletics |
| 2011 | Jarrod Parker, rhp | Athletics |
| 2012 | Trevor Bauer, rhp | Indians |
| 2013 | Tyler Skaggs, lhp | Angels |
| 2014 | Archie Bradley, rhp | Diamondbacks |
| 2015 | Archie Bradley, rhp | Diamondbacks |
| 2016 | Braden Shipley, rhp | Diamondbacks |
| TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Jarrod Parker, rhp | Athletics |
| 2008 | Daniel Schlereth, lhp | Blue Jays |
| 2009 | Bobby Borchering, 3b | Did not play |
| 2010 | *Barret Loux, rhp | Atlantic League |
| 2011 | Trevor Bauer, rhp | Indians |
| 2012 | Stryker Trahan, c | Diamondbacks |
| 2013 | Braden Shipley, rhp | Diamondbacks |
| 2014 | Touki Toussaint, rhp | Braves |
| 2015 | Dansby Swanson, ss | Braves |
| 2016 | Anfernee Grier, of (1st round supp.) | D-backs |
| *Did not sign | ||
| LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY | |
| Yasmany Tomas, 2014 | $14,000,000 |
| Travis Lee, 1996 | $10,000,000 |
| Yoan Lopez, 2015 | $8,270,000 |
| Dansby Swanson, 2015 | $6,500,000 |
| Justin Upton, 2005 | $6,100,000 |
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