Well, after waiting at the airport for the shuttle to the Swan Hotel for 2 hours, I'm here at the Winter Meetings. And the place is buzzing.
True to form, new Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers started the ball rolling by moving power hitting/strikeout prone Mark Reynolds to the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitchers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio. One can expect both pitchers to appear on the DBacks roster for 2011, making them safe fantasy picks.
On the surface, baseball purists would say the DBacks didn't get enough for a guy who hit 32 home runs. However, he's the same guy that struck out 211 times and left a ton of men on base. Camden Yards should suit Reynolds to a tee-just as Chase Field did when he played for Arizona. He has a left field/center field stroke and the ball gets out of the yard in a hurry when he connects. He has awesome power.
The prize for the DBacks and for Towers is Hernandez. The Diamondbacks organization has been high on him for quite some time. He has worked as both a starter and reliever, but the DBacks project him as a back end of the bullpen guy. He throws in the 90's with fairly good command of several quality pitches.
I wrote about Mickolio in my Fall League Notebook as someone I feel has a chance to be a major league back end of the bullpen guy. I think he'll get his chance in Arizona. He has had command problems, but he's a huge man with a high 90's fastball. He will help the Diamondbacks reshape their bullpen.
The new 3B in Arizona will be Melvin Mora.
I'm conflicted by that move because many people have said that Mora's best days are long, long gone. I'm not sure. I want to see him play in spring training. Remember, he carried a pretty loud stick just a couple seasons ago in Baltimore. He may find a new home in Phoenix at Chase Field that fits him fine. So, don't rush out and bet the house on Mora as your 2011 3B, but don't ignore him either. Chase Field does wonders for players with pull power to left field.
The Diamondbacks are still looking at former Chicago White Sox reliever J.J. Putz to be their 2011 closer. Putz has had arm miseries for the past few years of his career, but he did have a good season for Chicago in the American League Central. He can still bring the heat and he knows how to pitch under pressure. I like the move if they can get it done because they can land Putz as a free agent without giving up another body.
So since Towers has taken over as GM of Arizona, he has shed the club of more than 400 strikeouts with the departures of Reynolds and 1B Adam LaRoche. That says a lot to the fans of Arizona who were sick of watching guys stroll back to the dugout, bat in hand.
Like might happen in any trade, Mark Reynolds could have a monster year in Baltimore. But who knows? Maybe the two new relievers will make a tremendous difference for an Arizona club that would take a lead into the 5th inning, watch the starter tire and then see the lead blown by the inept bullpen. Towers is doing the right thing by focusing on the pen---just as he did in San Diego.
The Winter Meetings are being held at the Swan Hotel and the Dolphin Hotel, two separate convention properties at Disney World.
The place is a buzz with media types, minor league staffers, major league front office types and anyone and everyone that has a baseball connection. It's somewhat like being at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Lots of shopping and sights to see. I don't know who will be doing the buying. We'll find that out in the next couple of days. I'll have my ear to the ground, you can be sure. (Now isn't that another stupid phrase we use? Have you ever seen anyone actually have their ear to the ground?)