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4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Javier Vazquez had figured it out. While at home in Puerto Rico over the winter, he had studied videotapes of his pitching performances and was sure he had spotted the flaw in his delivery that caused his decline in the second half of the 2004 season, his first as a New York Yankee. He'd make a minor adjustment, he thought, and show the Yanks that they hadn't made a mistake in trading for him, that he really was the elite starter they thought they were getting when they acquired him from the Expos the previous winter.
Then Vazquez got the phone call he was dreading, from general manager Brian Cashman, informing him that he'd been traded to the Diamondbacks for five-time Cy Young winner Randy Johnson. "I had heard the rumors, but I was hoping they weren't true," Vazquez says. "It was nothing against Arizona, but I wanted the Yankees and the people in New York to see the kind of pitcher I really am. I felt like I had unfinished business there."
Vazquez, whom the Yankees packaged with promising lefthander Brad Halsey, catcher Dioner Navarro and $9 million to acquire Johnson, now moves from a consistent winner to a team that lost 111 games last season. The Diamondbacks are counting on him to help them get back to the former category. Their housecleaning after last year's disaster began with the rotation, where only righthander Brandon Webb remains. With the exception of Johnson, none of the departed will be missed; Arizona's other starters combined for only 19 wins last season, a total Vazquez might equal by himself if he returns to form. "For years I've heard hitters include Javy among a handful of pitchers they really hated to face," says manager Bob Melvin. "With Javy and [free-agent pickup] Russ Ortiz, we have a couple guys at the front of our rotation who can compete with anybody."
After a 10--5 record and 3.36 ERA earned him a spot on the 2004 American League All-Star team, Vazquez struggled mightily in the second half, dipping to 4--5 and 6.92, and pitching himself out of New York's postseason rotation. His final appearance in pinstripes came as a reliever in Game 7 of the ALCS, when he surrendered a grand slam to Red Sox centerfielder Johnny Damon on his first pitch. Vazquez believes his ineffectiveness after the break stemmed from a problem with his delivery. "I wasn't releasing the ball from the same arm angle that I normally do," he says. "Sometimes when your arm gets a little tired, you drop down a little bit and start pushing the ball instead of getting on top of it. That had a lot to do with why I wasn't getting the right movement on my pitches."
At the time most observers thought Vazquez's struggle was more mental than mechanical. After six years in Montreal, comfortably outside the media spotlight, it appeared he couldn't handle the pressure and scrutiny that comes with playing in New York. Vazquez dismisses that theory as nonsense, but he won't get the chance to prove it wrong. With the Diamondbacks he's likely to be free of pennant-race pressure again, although Arizona does seem primed to show significant improvement over last year. Vazquez, Ortiz and Webb are the heart of a promising rotation, and the lineup should be much more imposing if third baseman Troy Glaus and leftfielder Luis Gonzalez, both of whom had their seasons cut short by injury last year, stay healthy enough--they've both looked fine this spring--to join rightfielder Shawn Green, making for a formidable middle of the order.
A quick turnaround by the Diamondbacks may be the only way they'll be able to retain Vazquez beyond this season. As a player who was traded while under a multiyear contract, Vazquez can request another trade after the season, and if Arizona fails to deal him, he can void the final two years of his four-year, $45 million contract and become a free agent. "I've heard a lot of good things about this organization from guys who have played here before, so I'm not looking at this as a short-term thing," he says. "But right now I'm not thinking about next year." He and the Diamondbacks will probably be better off if he doesn't think about last year either. --P.T.
In Fact
Russ Ortiz's 77 wins since the 2000 All-Star break are the most of any pitcher in the NL. The righthander is 77--39 with a 3.65 ERA during that span.
Enemy Lines
an opposing team's scout sizes up the D-Backs
"THERE'S NOT a whole lot of depth to this club, so injuries could devastate them.... They'll hit with some power, but there are a lot of strikeouts in the lineup and not a lot of speed.... Luis Gonzalez has swung the bat well this spring. You can get numbers out of him and Shawn Green, but with all the lefties in the lineup Arizona could be susceptible to lefthanded pitching.... At first base Chad Tracy and Tony Clark make a less-than-adequate tandem. Tracy's more of a gap hitter, and Clark's a power guy who's never getting it done.... Craig Counsell is valuable as a utility player but not so much as an every-day second baseman. Royce Clayton is more of a defender at short, and he's on the downside of his career. Troy Glaus [coming off a shoulder injury] is very fragile.... Brandon Webb is the only starter returning. His stuff is down. Javier Vazquez is throwing well. He's going to kick things back into gear. Russ Ortiz is more or less a .500 pitcher. Shawn Estes was very immature earlier in his career but seems to have more focus now. He could be a 15- to 20-game winner."
The Lineup
projected roster with 2004 statistics
Batting Order
2B Counsell
SS Clayton
LF Gonzalez
3B Glaus
RF Green
CF Cruz Jr.
1B Tracy
C Hill
JOSE CRUZ JR. [New acquisition]
B-T S-R
PVR 146
BA .242
HR 21
RBI 78
SB 11
LUIS GONZALEZ
B-T L-R
PVR 89
BA .259
HR 17
RBI 48
SB 2
SHAWN GREEN [New acquisition]
B-T L
PVR 111
BA .266
HR 28
RBI 86
SB 5
ROYCE CLAYTON [New acquisition]
B-T R
PVR 251
BA .279
HR 8
RBI 54
SB 10
CRAIG COUNSELL [New acquisition]
B-T L-R
PVR 294
BA .241
HR 2
RBI 23
SB 17
TROY GLAUS [New acquisition]
B-T R
PVR 73
BA .251
HR 18
RBI 42
SB 2
CHAD TRACY
B-T L-R
PVR 207
BA .285
HR 8
RBI 53
SB 2
KOYIE HILL (R)*
B-T S-R
PVR 195
BA .286
HR 13
RBI 54
SB 0
BENCH
ALEX CINTRON
B-T S-R
PVR 292
BA .262
HR 4
RBI 49
SB 3
TONY CLARK
B-T S-R
PVR 273
BA .221
HR 16
RBI 49
SB 0
SCOTT HAIRSTON
B-T R
PVR 319
BA .248
HR 13
RBI 29
SB 3
2004 RECORD
51--111
5th in NL West
MANAGER
Bob Melvin
first season with Arizona
ROTATION
[originallink:10808626:720496]
PITCHER | PVR | W | L | S | WHIP | ERA |
RH Greg Aquino | 101 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 1.16 | 3.06 |
RH Jose Valverde | 244 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1.35 | 4.25 |
RH Mike Koplove | 282 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1.42 | 4.05 |
New acquisition (R) Rookie B-T: Bats-throws IPS: Innings pitched per start WHIP: Walks plus hits per inning pitched *Triple A stats
PVR: Player Value Ranking (explanation on page 69)
COLOR PHOTO
JOHN BIEVER
SOLAR POWER
After two injury-plagued years with the Angels, Glaus tries to regain his 40-homer form in the Valley of the Sun.
COLOR PHOTO
HEINZ KLUETMEIER
Gonzalez
