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Stirner · 07-05-2011, 11:22 AM

I'm just starting 2012 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In this game, I've decided to just act as the General Manager, so I have my manager setting my lineups. While I don't get to familiarize myself with the players as much, I do find myself having more fun because I'm not micromanaging everything.

Anyway, when I took over the Diamondbacks in 2011, they had a pretty poor farm but a semi-talented twenty-five man roster. I'm used to playing as teams with loaded farms (Pittsburgh and Kansas, sometimes Boston). Thus, I made it my goal to get Arizona's farm system into the top five within my first year through trades (very low/hard/neutral), international scouting, and drafting. Baseball America ranked Arizona as the second best farm system.

Here's my top eight prospects:

RHP Shelby Miller -- Acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 12, along with LHB Daniel 'Dirty Dan' Descalso. Miller is a power pitcher, featuring a mid to upper nineties fastball with two complementing side offerings: a plus-plus (7/8 potential) change and a plus curveball. The twenty-one year old can struggle with his command at time, so he'll probably be spending his first full year in Triple-A Reno this season. MLB COMP: Josh Beckett

RHB Matt Jordin -- Jordin was the Diamondback's first round pick (3rd overall) in the 2011 Amateur Player Draft. The 5'8, 185 pound catcher isn't built like your typical ballplayer -- or catcher for that matter -- but has an advanced feel for hitting and defense behind the plate. In thirty games of Single-A ball last year, the 18 year old catcher (then 17) managed to hit .263/.368/.377 with 2 home runs. MLB COMP: Michael Barrett

RHP Jarrod Parker -- Parker was already in Arizona's system before I took over, and he was the team's top prospect. Nowadays though, Parker is the third best prospect in the system. Like Shelby, Miller has an advanced feel for pitching for his age (23). He induces a lot of weak, groundball contact thanks to a recently developed sinker to add to an already vast repertoire of pitches. MLB COMP: Tim Hudson

RHB Jin Guao -- If Guao had remained in Taiwan, he would probably be the Lebron James of the country's baseball league. He's an extremely talented and athletic corner infielder with powerful howitzer cannon for an arm. His arm isn't the only thing that's "plus" about him either. He can hit. And boy, can he hit the ball far. Like any 18 year old, Guao has a long way to go before he reaches the show. When he does get called up, watch out. He could shatter any number of home run records. MLB COMP: Travis Fryman

RHP Stetson Allie -- Could you throw over a hundred miles per hour before you could buy a six pack of beer? Stetson Allie could. The 6'2, 225 pound native of Olmstead Falls, Ohio is built like a pitcher. In his initial taste of pro ball, Allie managed to strike out 245 batters while 85 in 160 innings of work. "I have a lot to prove," Allie told Baseball America. "The Pirates traded me after drafting me, so I'm making it my mission to prove to them and their fans that the reason they are bottom feeders is because they don't know a good talent when they see one. Arizona does. I'm in Double-A to start the season here, but it's a real shame that I don't get to strikeout 'Curves' in the Eastern League." MLB COMP: Joba Chamberlain

LHB Ryan Wheeler -- Like Parker, Wheeler was already in the system when I arrived. However, Wheeler is one of the few prospects I would deem 'untouchable'. Why? Well, Wheeler knows what he has to do when he goes up to the plate and that's get on-base. The 23 year old first baseman gets on-base about 36% of the time, while putting the ball in play about 29%. Lacking true home run power, Wheeler hits a lot of balls to the gap. Average defensive first baseman. Future DH? MLB COMP: Nick Johnson

RHB Jose Iglesias -- Mark my words: Jose Iglesias is going to be one of the best defensive shortstops in the history of baseball. When he was twenty-one and with the Red Sox, Keith Law said "watching him take infield practice is like watching baseball porn". Baseball porn will be coming to Chase Field then. While Iglesias' glove is far beyond his bat right now, he is expected to be able to put up a decent line in the majors. Probably will never bat above the mendoza line or hit twenty home runs, but .280/.330/.370 isn't out of the question. MLB COMP: Orlando Cabrera

RHB Matt Davidson -- Davidson doesn't have one tool that really stands out. Maybe his arm? However, a third baseman needs to do more than get the ball across the diamond. Unlike Guao, Davidson is a one-dimensional fielder. Like Guao, however, he has good power. Unfortunately for Davidson, he has a long swing which will probably prevent him from ever hitting for average. Combined with inability to hit breaking balls (.200 average in Single-A) and you have a guy who looks more like a dud than a bud. MLB COMP: Andy LaRoche

***

I made a lot of trades and waiver claims over the course of the season (too many to accurately recall), so I'll just go over the main ones:

Claimed Dustin McGowan off of waivers from Toronto. McGowan managed to go 10-7 with a 3.84 ERA and 108 strike outs. I signed him to a three-year extension valued at 17 million with a team option for 2015 for 10 million with a $500,000 buyout.

Claimed Warner Madrigal, Cedrick Bowers, Joey Devine, and Jeremy Jeffress off of waivers. The four relief pitchers are in my bullpen to begin 2012. Devine is the only one of the four (and the only pitcher in my bullpen) to be signed long term. He has a four year contract valued at a little under 3 million total.

Traded J.J. Putz to Boston for Oscar Tejeda, Felix Doubront, and Stolmy Pimentel. Putz is currently the set-up man for Boston's closer, Daniel Bard. I also traded Kelly Johnson to St Louis for Shelby Miller and Daniel Descalso. Stephen Drew went packing to Pittsburgh for Stetson Allie. And finally, Chris Young's contract was sent to the Seattle Mariners for the cheaper and very similar center fielder, Franklin Gutierrez.

In the off-season, I claimed Jose Iglesias off of waivers from Boston (they had signed another Jose and needed to make room for him). Then I signed Javier Vazquez to a one year, 3.5 million dollar deal. He brought along friends Juan Pierre, Mark DeRosa, and Joe Inglett.

***

Current rotation and bullpen looks like this:

RHP Ian Kennedy
RHP Dustin McGowan
RHP Daniel Hudson
RHP Javier Vazquez
LHP Joe Saunders

RHP Warner Madrigal
LHP Cedrick Bowers
RHP Joey Devine
RHP Bryan Shaw
LHP Joe Paterson
RHP Jeremy Jeffress
RHP Kam Mickolio (closer)

Starting lineup:

C Miguel Montero
1B Brandon Allen
2B Daniel Descalso
3B Ryan Roberts
SS Alex Gonzalez
LF Gerardo Parra
CF Franklin Gutierrez
RF Justin Upton

Bench:

C Konrad Schmidt
IF Tony Abreu
IF Joe Inglett
OF Juan Pierre
Util Mark DeRosa

***

I'm expected to play .500 ball. I have the fifteenth overall pick in the Amateur Draft this year, but I won't draft again until nearly thirty picks later. For the foreseeable future, my offense is going to be carried by Justin Upton. He came eerily close to a 40-40 season in 2011. He finished with 38 home runs and 38 stolen bases before being sidelined with injury for the last week of the season.

I know this was a long post and I apologize, but I love talking (or typing about?) what I've done with MLB teams.

07-05-2011, 11:22 AM	#48
Stirner Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 45	I'm just starting 2012 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In this game, I've decided to just act as the General Manager, so I have my manager setting my lineups. While I don't get to familiarize myself with the players as much, I do find myself having more fun because I'm not micromanaging everything. Anyway, when I took over the Diamondbacks in 2011, they had a pretty poor farm but a semi-talented twenty-five man roster. I'm used to playing as teams with loaded farms (Pittsburgh and Kansas, sometimes Boston). Thus, I made it my goal to get Arizona's farm system into the top five within my first year through trades (very low/hard/neutral), international scouting, and drafting. Baseball America ranked Arizona as the second best farm system. Here's my top eight prospects: RHP Shelby Miller -- Acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 12, along with LHB Daniel 'Dirty Dan' Descalso. Miller is a power pitcher, featuring a mid to upper nineties fastball with two complementing side offerings: a plus-plus (7/8 potential) change and a plus curveball. The twenty-one year old can struggle with his command at time, so he'll probably be spending his first full year in Triple-A Reno this season. MLB COMP: Josh Beckett RHB Matt Jordin -- Jordin was the Diamondback's first round pick (3rd overall) in the 2011 Amateur Player Draft. The 5'8, 185 pound catcher isn't built like your typical ballplayer -- or catcher for that matter -- but has an advanced feel for hitting and defense behind the plate. In thirty games of Single-A ball last year, the 18 year old catcher (then 17) managed to hit .263/.368/.377 with 2 home runs. MLB COMP: Michael Barrett RHP Jarrod Parker -- Parker was already in Arizona's system before I took over, and he was the team's top prospect. Nowadays though, Parker is the third best prospect in the system. Like Shelby, Miller has an advanced feel for pitching for his age (23). He induces a lot of weak, groundball contact thanks to a recently developed sinker to add to an already vast repertoire of pitches. MLB COMP: Tim Hudson RHB Jin Guao -- If Guao had remained in Taiwan, he would probably be the Lebron James of the country's baseball league. He's an extremely talented and athletic corner infielder with powerful howitzer cannon for an arm. His arm isn't the only thing that's "plus" about him either. He can hit. And boy, can he hit the ball far. Like any 18 year old, Guao has a long way to go before he reaches the show. When he does get called up, watch out. He could shatter any number of home run records. MLB COMP: Travis Fryman RHP Stetson Allie -- Could you throw over a hundred miles per hour before you could buy a six pack of beer? Stetson Allie could. The 6'2, 225 pound native of Olmstead Falls, Ohio is built like a pitcher. In his initial taste of pro ball, Allie managed to strike out 245 batters while 85 in 160 innings of work. "I have a lot to prove," Allie told Baseball America. "The Pirates traded me after drafting me, so I'm making it my mission to prove to them and their fans that the reason they are bottom feeders is because they don't know a good talent when they see one. Arizona does. I'm in Double-A to start the season here, but it's a real shame that I don't get to strikeout 'Curves' in the Eastern League." MLB COMP: Joba Chamberlain LHB Ryan Wheeler -- Like Parker, Wheeler was already in the system when I arrived. However, Wheeler is one of the few prospects I would deem 'untouchable'. Why? Well, Wheeler knows what he has to do when he goes up to the plate and that's get on-base. The 23 year old first baseman gets on-base about 36% of the time, while putting the ball in play about 29%. Lacking true home run power, Wheeler hits a lot of balls to the gap. Average defensive first baseman. Future DH? MLB COMP: Nick Johnson RHB Jose Iglesias -- Mark my words: Jose Iglesias is going to be one of the best defensive shortstops in the history of baseball. When he was twenty-one and with the Red Sox, Keith Law said "watching him take infield practice is like watching baseball porn". Baseball porn will be coming to Chase Field then. While Iglesias' glove is far beyond his bat right now, he is expected to be able to put up a decent line in the majors. Probably will never bat above the mendoza line or hit twenty home runs, but .280/.330/.370 isn't out of the question. MLB COMP: Orlando Cabrera RHB Matt Davidson -- Davidson doesn't have one tool that really stands out. Maybe his arm? However, a third baseman needs to do more than get the ball across the diamond. Unlike Guao, Davidson is a one-dimensional fielder. Like Guao, however, he has good power. Unfortunately for Davidson, he has a long swing which will probably prevent him from ever hitting for average. Combined with inability to hit breaking balls (.200 average in Single-A) and you have a guy who looks more like a dud than a bud. MLB COMP: Andy LaRoche * I made a lot of trades and waiver claims over the course of the season (too many to accurately recall), so I'll just go over the main ones: Claimed Dustin McGowan off of waivers from Toronto. McGowan managed to go 10-7 with a 3.84 ERA and 108 strike outs. I signed him to a three-year extension valued at 17 million with a team option for 2015 for 10 million with a $500,000 buyout. Claimed Warner Madrigal, Cedrick Bowers, Joey Devine, and Jeremy Jeffress off of waivers. The four relief pitchers are in my bullpen to begin 2012. Devine is the only one of the four (and the only pitcher in my bullpen) to be signed long term. He has a four year contract valued at a little under 3 million total. Traded J.J. Putz to Boston for Oscar Tejeda, Felix Doubront, and Stolmy Pimentel. Putz is currently the set-up man for Boston's closer, Daniel Bard. I also traded Kelly Johnson to St Louis for Shelby Miller and Daniel Descalso. Stephen Drew went packing to Pittsburgh for Stetson Allie. And finally, Chris Young's contract was sent to the Seattle Mariners for the cheaper and very similar center fielder, Franklin Gutierrez. In the off-season, I claimed Jose Iglesias off of waivers from Boston (they had signed another Jose and needed to make room for him). Then I signed Javier Vazquez to a one year, 3.5 million dollar deal. He brought along friends Juan Pierre, Mark DeRosa, and Joe Inglett. * Current rotation and bullpen looks like this: RHP Ian Kennedy RHP Dustin McGowan RHP Daniel Hudson RHP Javier Vazquez LHP Joe Saunders RHP Warner Madrigal LHP Cedrick Bowers RHP Joey Devine RHP Bryan Shaw LHP Joe Paterson RHP Jeremy Jeffress RHP Kam Mickolio (closer) Starting lineup: C Miguel Montero 1B Brandon Allen 2B Daniel Descalso 3B Ryan Roberts SS Alex Gonzalez LF Gerardo Parra CF Franklin Gutierrez RF Justin Upton Bench: C Konrad Schmidt IF Tony Abreu IF Joe Inglett OF Juan Pierre Util Mark DeRosa *** I'm expected to play .500 ball. I have the fifteenth overall pick in the Amateur Draft this year, but I won't draft again until nearly thirty picks later. For the foreseeable future, my offense is going to be carried by Justin Upton. He came eerily close to a 40-40 season in 2011. He finished with 38 home runs and 38 stolen bases before being sidelined with injury for the last week of the season. I know this was a long post and I apologize, but I love talking (or typing about?) what I've done with MLB teams. __________________ "If man puts his honor first in relying upon himself, knowing himself and applying himself, this in self-reliance, self-assertion, and freedom, he then strives to rid himself of the ignorance which makes a strange impenetrable object a barrier and a hindrance to his self-knowledge."