Diamondbacks Notes: April 3, 2009
* BONES BRIGADE - Diamondbacks Nation was introduced to James Skelton when Arizona snagged him from the Tigers in the Rule 5 draft. He got a fair bit of play in the Cactus League, showing the defensive versatility to man multiple positions. Unfortunately for Skelton, his bat didn't come to play this spring: he finished just .150 / .244 / .175 in 40 AB. That was not nearly good enough to earn Skelton a roster spot, but the spike in the middle of that line highlights part of what the Diamondbacks saw in Skelton in the first place. The young man draws a mean walk. He had 5 BB in 45 PA this spring, despite failing to demonstrate enough power in his skinny 165 lbs frame to scare opposing pitchers. (With his distinctive surname and slight build, Diamondbacks Nation proposes that "Bones" is an ideal nickname.)
Skelton possesses a keen plate discipline that belies his age. The 23-year old has advanced no higher than AA, where he has appeared in just 24 games, but he commands the strike zone as well as many players with far more experience. In 1058 PA in the minors, Skelton has walked more times than he's struck out (179 BB v. 176 K) and compiled a record of .292 / .415 / .400 in the triple-slash categories.
While Skelton may never have enough pop to be an everyday player, he can put together a quality at-bat and play creditable defense at C and 2B. He also has the strong arm to play 3B in a pinch. That makes Skelton a great fit as a reserve, especially on a team whose swing-and-miss tendencies cost them dearly in 2008. With a little more development time, Skelton could be relied on by the big league club to put the ball in play or draw a walk.
Moving the runners over, getting on base ahead of the big boppers, and fielding a handful of key positions while earning the ML-minimum would give Skelton nice value. Enough so that the Diamondbacks wanted to keep Skelton, even if he was deemed as yet unready for a place on the 25-man roster. They managed that by working out a deal to send Brooks Brown to the Tigers, to whom Arizona would otherwise have been required to return Skelton. Brown, a 2006 Supplemental First Round choice with a sinker-slider combo, pitched well to open 2008 before fading late in his first full year at AA Mobile. Skelton will begin 2009 with the same BayBears affiliate.
Arizona seems equally to enjoy and to excel at finding Swiss Army-knife types like Skelton. Robby Hammock, the most recent catcher-infielder-outfielder hybrid, has moved on to a bench gig in Baltimore. The similarly endowed Wilkin Castillo advanced all the way to AAA Tucson before his inclusion in the deal that landed Adam Dunn from the Reds. A pure third catcher on a club with two starting-caliber receivers in Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero is a luxury not worth its price in roster space. But a player who can handle catching duties and field other positions frees Bob Melvin to use Snyder or Montero as a pinch-hitter without being hamstrung should extra innings or an injury follow. If he matures a bit more, Skelton may fill that role nicely.
* CACTUS CANDY - The Cactus League has not been kind to the host Diamondbacks, whose 11-21 record and .344 winning-percentage were the worst in baseball. No biggie, though. The numbers will matter not at all come Monday. It's always better to win than to lose, but for point of reference, the 2008 Cactus League champion Oakland Athletics finished 75-86 (.462) in 2008, while the Dodgers and Phillies each lost 18 games last spring before advancing to meet in the NLCS.
* THREE DAYS! - Yes, Diamondbacks Nation, the long, cold winter is drawing to a close. OK, so it's never really cold in Phoenix. It just feels that way when we're waiting for Opening Day. The wait is almost over, as our very own Boys of Summer are about to get started in earnest. Arizona will play two more non-Cactus League exhibitions against the Chicago White Sox at Chase Field, tonight and on Saturday afternoon, with Sunday as a day of rest. Diamondbacks Nation will be in downtown Phoenix bright and early Monday morning to cheer on the Snakes in their Opening Day tilt with the Rockies. Play ball, boys!
2 responses to this Post, with 2 unique participants
I hear that!
The bats better come to play!
Anonymous
04/04/09
4:30pm
Horrible Spring
I am not too worried about the horrible spring for the DBacks. The pitching will be there in April, but my only real concerns would be bats and bullpen. With the bats looking they need a little more time to wake up, Melvin should be active on the base paths early and often.