DMVol

I have to wonder if maybe Green is looked at as more of a long term guy at 3b....Nelson may be filling in while Green gets game time at SLC at 3b....Kendrick injury may change things though....

You know, all joking aside, I'd like to see Scioscia give him a look, not as a mop up guy, but maybe a 7th inning type of reliever...he seems to mostly do ok the first time through a lineup as a starter and then struggles after that....I'd much rather give him a look in that role than release him or trade him and assume most of his contract for next year....if we have to pay him for 14, why not see what he could do in a meaningful role out of the pen for the rest of the year....if he bombs as a 7th inning guy, no harm done...it's not like we're inhibiting the development of Stange or Guitterez....lots of experimenting Scioscia could do right now...but, I expect you'll still see more of Stange, Cowgill and Harris and we'll probably release Blanton....that's my guess...

There is an obvious opening at 3b...if they view Nelson as a viable long term guy there, then you probably keep Green at 2b, maybe explore trading Howie in the off season, let Green and Lindsey fight it out in the spring....if Nelson is just an immediate caretaker after the Callaspo trade and Green is viewed as more of a long term guy at 3b, I'd call up Green and put him at 3b for the rest of the season....maybe call up Lindsey while Howie is hurt or, if they don't think Lindsey is ready, let Nelson play 2b while Howie is hurt.... All that said, I think Green plays 2b while Howie is hurt and Nelson stays at 3b....at least that's my guess...

In addition to Marte, we have signed another ex-Diamondback....at least he's a relief pitcher.....sorry if it's a Craig.... https://twitter.com/MikeDiGiovanna

Not sure any of this matter much because I think Green gets a shot at 3b before the season is over....he is playing 3b at SLC and I suspect they'll bring him up soon and give him a shot, over Nelson...

Yep...but if Richards keeps it up and Vargas gets healthy and signs a new deal, you're in pretty good shape with 4/5ths of the rotation done....that's a lot of ifs but it's maybe a realistic way to dig our way out of hole this year has been, without spending a fortune (again) in the offseason....Of the 3, Hanson is the only one who might rebound, and that's really iffy...Wms is a swing guy and Blanton, well, he's Blanton....

I think I'd try to keep Vargas....if Richards keeps it up, you've got Weaver, CJ, Richards and Vargas for next year....that potentially is a pretty good rotation....get the pen fixed, for real this time, and hope Pujols and Hamilton rebound and we can be ok next year....

Turrable (as Charles Barkley would say)....and Brian Cashman knew it....when ARod and Boras opted out, Cashman wanted to let ARod walk....and he would have but Hal or Hank or whichever brother was calling the shots overruled him....they probably win it all in 09 without him....

I wonder if we might see Green at 3b sometime before the season is over....maybe he is better defensively at 2b but, if his bat can play in the big leagues, there is opportunity at 3b....

+1....Hate to admit it but that's where I'm at too....I liked the hire, a lot, but the results have been pretty awful....

Non-tendering Haren was a good move....locking up Aybar and Kendrick was probably pretty wise (even if both get moved eventually)...signing CJ at least hasn't been a disaster, like Hamilton....beyond that, can't argue with you....

Link?

Don't think Howie is going anywhere, at least not now....the market just isn't there for what we would want in return....

Or Conger?

I don't think we can get a high end pitching prospect for Howie right now....teams just aren't trading those guys....it's all a crap shoot but when you look at Corbin, I think most teams would prefer to make do at 2b and hold on to pitchers who are potential difference makers.....the biggest problem with this year's team (although there are many) is pitching....the last two nights being exhbit A.....

I appreciate Scioscia's record---he's won a lot more than he's lost---but this is the sort of stuff that drives me crazy....We're toast, we're playing for 2014. Colin Cowgill/Cowherd (or whatever the hell his name is) isn't going to be a major part of 2014, he's a spare part at best. Cole Calhoun has the ability to be more than a spare part....So, why in heaven's name play Cowgill at this point...Absolutely crazy....Calhoun needs every AB he can get for the rest of the season so he can be evaluated.....Playing Cowgill does what for us at this point?

Willits with a little more power....When Bourjos is back, Calhoun needs to take Shuck's AB's...but it'll never happen....

Watching Hanson get hammered yesterday (not all his fault, I guess) and then watching Walden pitch for the Braves in the 8th against the Cards last night, I am trending toward being skeptical about DiPoto...I like him a lot but it's looking like he really missed on every move he made last offseason---Hunter, Walden for Hanson, Blanton, Madsen, Burnett, Hamilton (not sure if that was his call)....We literally didn't get anything right....the last thing we need is more turnover in the front office but when your offseason is a total bust (and I mean total), it's hard not to be concerned....

Actually, he's been perfect in 2 relief appearances....small sample size but, if we have to pay him, I'd rather he find a role as a middle reliever than pay somebody to take him off our hands....his stats, as a starter, say that's he's better the first time thru a lineup than thereafter, so maybe he could find a niche in the pen....

I like Dipoto, a lot, so I am torn on this....It's a tough call because you don't know how much of this is really his doing. I guess I subscribe to the theory that Hamilton and Pujols were largely Arte generated and I tend to give him a pass there. On Greinke, I think that came from the pressure on a "built to win now" type of club....the Braves made a similiar really bad deadline deal for Tex in 2007 (as opposed to our good deal in 08) but they recovered because of a deep farm system.... I would assume that the Blanton deal was all DiPoto and you just can't run from that...Chatwood for Ianetta looks pretty bad now also...Letting Santana and Hunter go looks pretty bad also...Letting Haren go was a good call but that was a pretty easy call--Haren's stuff was subpar....Hanson for Walden? To be determined, not sure yet....Madsen, Burnett--I guess you can't predict injuries but you have to wonder if there were red flags there...I do still like Kendrys for Vargas....we needed starting pitching more than a bat.... So, probably more bad than good and I hate it because I like DiPoto....

Nope...not for 2014, anway....that's a "bad Ervin" year....maybe pick him up cheap for 2015....

I don't know....He's been pretty consistent and under 4.00 for 3 of the last 4 years....that's a 3 on most staffs....probably not a 3 in a really good rotation....

We don't have the minor league talent to get a significant rental this year....so it really isn't an issue...

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but add to your list of "what ifs"---what if DiPoto had checked the calendar and realized that this was a "Good Ervin" year and kept Santana? And for good measure, decided to tender Torii Hunter a qualifying offer rather than siging Hamilton?

Must be the HRs that bothers Scioscia...he's not enough like Willits...Shuck is the man....