Rebuilding: 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks

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So I decided to jump on the dynasty train and start one of my very own. I decided to take over the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks because I figured, why not? I like this era and I wanted a challenge. In real life, the D-Backs finished 51-111 in 2004 before improving to 77-85 in '05 and eventually making the playoffs in 2007. Let's see if I can improve on that.

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Well, I'm sure you have heard this before, but how do you upload pictures to OOTP Dynasties? Sorry for the trouble to anyone who has probably had to answer this a lot of times, but it is really helpful.

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Catcher: There are no great options at catcher this year. 26 year old Robby Hammock will probably start, but he is a subpar option who's contract will expire after the season. Our only real prospect is Chris Snyder, who could develop into an average all-around catcher but doesn't wow me.

First Base: Richie Sexton will start this year. He hit 45 homers last year and has a 10,000,000 per year deal that expires after this year. He is someone that could be moved, and he certainly would drum up interest. Shea Hillenbrand would definitely be capable for the time being, and would be 8 million dollars per year cheaper.

Second Base: We are forced to start 35 year old Roberto Alomar, who is still capable but would not be starting on a good team. No prospects to speak of behind him.

Shortstop: Nobody is behind Alex Cintron, who actually isn't a bad player. I have offered him a 3 year, 8.2 million dollar deal to stay with us for the long run. Cintron is a capable fielder who can hit.

Third Base: Chad Tracy is pretty average across the board, but he is 23 and not putrid so I have offered he a low-ball contract. We'll see how he does in his rookie season and whether he accepts.

Outfield: In the outfield we have two aging guys who I will be either trading or letting go of after the season: LF Luis Gonzalez and CF Steve Finley. In right I have no idea what to do, no one is rated over 1 star. Danny Batista or Luis Terrero have an absolute gift of an opportunity to start with a major league team. Spring training will decide who will start.

Projected Lineup as of now:
1. CF Steve Finley
2. RF D. Batista
3. LF Luis Gonzalez
4. 1B Richie Sexton
5. 3B Chad Tracy
6. SS Alex Cintron
7. 2B Roberto Alomar
8. C Robby Hammock
-----------------------------
BENCH:
BUC: Chris Snyder
BUIF: Matt Kata
BUIF: Shea Hillenbrand
BUOF: Doug LeVore
BUOF: Luis Terrero

Pitchers coming soon!!

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by royalflush

Well, I'm sure you have heard this before, but how do you upload pictures to OOTP Dynasties? Sorry for the trouble to anyone who has probably had to answer this a lot of times, but it is really helpful.

I think the easiest way is to click the attachments button (paper clip), and then upload the file, select it, and put it in the post.



You can also use something like dropbox to store the images, then post the link here.

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Starting Pitcher: We literally have 5 starters in the organization. Randy Johnson is still pitching with a 5-star rating at age 40. I really cannot trade him because we need him on the roster. Brandon Webb is the player I am most exited about. I offered him a 4 year deal worth 25 million. Casey Fossum and Andrew Good are both 25 or under and had ERA's of over 5 last year. Shane Reynolds also had an ERA over 5 last year, except he is 35. I need to add someone else so there is competition there.

Relief Pitcher: I actually have options here and I am exited about Jose Valverde, who has potential to be a nasty closer. The others really don't deserve a mention, but they are a solid group.

POTENTIAL ROTATION AND RELIEF.
SP1: Randy Johnson
SP2: Brandon Webb
SP3: Casey Fossum
SP4: Andrew Good
SP5: Shane Reynolds

CL: Jose Valverde
8th: Mike Koplove
7th: Randy Choate
Middle Relief:
Elmer Dessens
Oscar Villarreal
Matt Mantei
Steve Sparks
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Weaknesses:
DEPTH!!!!
Catcher
I need prospects
Middle infield

Trading Block:
Richie Sexton
Luis Gonzalez
Steve Finley
Randy Johnson (If we can get a SP, I would be willing to package him in a deal)

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Originally Posted by NYY #23

I think the easiest way is to click the attachments button (paper clip), and then upload the file, select it, and put it in the post.

Attachment 443539

You can also use something like dropbox to store the images, then post the link here.

OK thanks. I know I have found it before, but where do you take the screenshot or is it in OOTP??

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So I shopped Richie Sexton around and the Florida Marlins were willing to give up Josh Willingham. In the final deal we gave up Sexton and Chris Snyder for Willingham, IF Damon Easley who provides depth, 1B Will Cordero who is an emergency filler. He hit .278 with 16 jacks last year. Finally, we got OF Abraham Nunez, also for depth. Easley and Cordero are up there in years, but this deal gets us 8 million more cap space for this upcoming offseason, a great player, and depth.

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Our preseason prediction is 73 wins in 4th place. Yeah, right. I'll be happy with less than 100 losses.

At the cusp of the start of Spring Training, I shopped a 2B prospect Scott Hairston around because I did not think he would amount to too much. I was able to pull off a deal where I send Scott Hairston, 2B Matt Kata who will do nothing, Luis Gonzalez, and Luis Terrero for SP Jarrod Washburn who will be our 3, CF Chone Figgins, 1B Darrin Erstad, and SS prospect Alfredo Amezaga. AND our cap space improves by 10 million. What a deal. Alright, NOW we head into spring.

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We went 9-19 in spring. The owner expects us to play over .500 ball, which I am not doing. The top 100 prospects list was published, with the top 3 being Zach Greinke, Joe Mauer, and Joe Blanton. Josh Willingham, Chad Tracy, and Oscar Villarreal represented the D-Backs.
So, what did happen in spring? Here is the recap:

Right, my recap got deleted, so here is a shortened version:
Injuries: RP Mike Fetters (1-2 weeks), RP Mike Koplove (6 weeks), 3B Damon Easley (1 week)

And here is our lineup: (Bold=brought in on trade)
1. CF Chone Figgins
2. RF Danny Bautista
3. 3B Chad Tracy
4. LF Steve Finley
5. 1B Darrin Erstad/Shea Hillenbrand (Platoon, Erstad vs. right, Hillenbrand vs. left)
6. SS Alex Cintron
7. C Robby Hammock
8. 2B Roberto Alomar

BUC: Brent Mayne
BUIF: Alfredo Amazega (who had an excellent preseason)
BUOF: Doug DeVore
BUOF: Abraham Nunez

Pitching:
SP1: Randy Johnson (MVP of preseason)
SP2: Brandon Webb
SP3: Casey Fossum
SP4: Jarrod Washburn
SP5: Shane Reynolds

CL: Jose Valverde
8th: Randy Choate
7th: Elmer Dessens
6th: Oscar Villarreal
Middle relief 1: Matt Mantei
Middle relief 2: Steve Sparks
Long relief: Andrew Good

Start of season coming up!!

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Here is the screen at the start of the regular season.

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So this happened. 1st game, first inning, what a start!!!

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We went 4-17 in April.


Awful pitching, no power, and only two players are doing anything. In other words, just as I expected. BTW, here is an update on the salary and contract situation:



We have a lot of cap space and I will make an impact in next year's free agent class... But for now it's the struggle.

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May was kinder than April. Our offense looks a lot better, as Tracy is exiting me. The staff? Not so much. 2nd base is just a black hole, Amezaga, Alomar, and Easley just are not doing it for me. Chone Figgins can fill in if he has to but then we have the problem of Nunez or Doug DeVore. Finley isn't going to get me offers but I am violently shopping him around. Draft up next!!!

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Just a quick update, Jose Valverde is out for June. In other news, all late leads for us implode.
We pick 15th in the draft because of our good record last season. The Tigers, Rays, and Padres have the top 3 picks. When our pick rolled around, Matt Cain was the best available player, and I selected him. He might even make our rotation in his first year. With our 2nd pick, I selected C.J. Wilson, who is a reliever right now but will become a starter. Continuing my pitcher stockpile, I picked up Huston Street with my 3rd pick. Edinson Volquez was next. We selected speedster CF who will never start Jaime Bubela. I figured he was a Jarrod Dyson type. OF Doug Clark is the same type. Finally, I selected reliever Colter Bean who I may not even sign. And now Huston Street is basically saying that he will not play for the D-Backs. Here is the first round:

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Huston Street will be in the next draft; We were unable to get him. At least we get a compensation. I was dumb for drafting him.
Freaking Chone Figgins is out for the next 2 months. Darrin Erstad will play in the Outfield and Will Cordero has been promoted to help at 1B.
Every other draft pick signed, though. Matt Cain will probably be in the majors by September, and certainly with roster expansion.
To add insult to injury, Jarrod Washburn wants out. He's been pretty bad this year, so I'm not too sad with the addition of Matt Cain.
I'm just going to show you the offer we worked out with Seattle:

We pretty much just traded starting rotations. Freddy Garcia, Bobby Madritsch, and Ryan Franklin join a new look staff that I am suddenly exited about. Washburn and Fossum were never great pitchers. Our fan interest is basically dead though. We'll see how Garcia, Madritsch, and Frankin pitch.
Oh, and Madritsch is pitcher of the month.

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Brent Mayne was the most recent player who wanted out. We swapped him with Timo Perez, a likely AAA outfielder.
Josh Willingham was not ready to be in the majors yet, so I swapped in a different catcher.
No surprise, we had no All-Stars.
The deadline came and went with no action. Freddy Garcia has an 8 ERA with the D-Backs.



Since there was no trade deadline action, I am going to review how the deals I have made so far look at the deadline.

1. Sexton, Snyder to Florida for Willingham, Easley, Cordero, Nunez.
Snyder has not seen a ML AB and Sexton is hitting .260, on pace for 30+ HR. I didn't get a complete steal, but I think I did well. It kind of depends on what Willingham does. Easley, Cordero, and Nunez have all been good pieces so far. I think the Marlins gave up too much.

2. Hairston, Kata, Gonzalez, Terrero to Anaheim for Erstad, Amezaga, Figgins, Washburn.
Once again, I got a lot of key pieces. For them, Kata is never going to amount to anything, Hairston may have a future but this year he has a negative WAR, Gonzalez has not played up to his contract, and Terrero hasn't been on a ML roster. Washburn was suppposed to be the key to this trade, but he's done and then he wanted out. Amezaga will be a good player someday, and Figgins and Erstad are both good. I won this trade.

Those are the two trades that were far enough back to evaluate.

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Pretty much nothing happened in August.
RACE FOR LAST PLACE:
There are 4 teams currently in the last place chase:


We have just won 6 in a row to go 1 1/2 games up on Pittsburgh. Bad time to get hot.



Matt Cain takes Franklin's spot for now.

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Our A team won the championship. AAA team not bad either.

I love Shea Hilllenbrand's face.



Brandon Villafuerte is a bad AA reliever. He is injured for the next year. I cut him. That is all.

RACE FOR LAST PLACE:
With 9 games left to go our record is 56-97, having already clinched a better record than in real life. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh is 7 games worse.



Looks like we are going to have the #2 pick next year.

End of season home page:

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Here were our full hitting stats for this year:




Pitching Stats:



Here are our end of season finances:

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Standings:



Playoffs:



Batting Leaders:



Pitching Leaders:



Washburn ended up with a 6-20 record... Serves him right for wanting out of Arizona.