Arizona Diamondbacks’ roster was a team effort
Sep 5, 2011, 7:15 PM | Updated: 8:15 pm
With the Arizona Diamondbacks likely claiming the NL West title this month, people are starting to ask who deserves the credit for the roster that’s turned a team around in less than a season.
The answer, it turns out, is that due to several changes in the D-backs’ front office, that there are quite a few people who deserve a nod.
According to Ken Rosenthal, four different GMs – Joe Garagiola Jr., Josh Byrnes, Jerry DiPoto and Kevin Towers – all made moves that resulted in the current roster.
Former D-backs’ scouting director and current Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, with help from assistant Kris Kline, signed the likes of Justin Upton and Stephen Drew.
“The team in Arizona now, Kline and I were there putting that together,” Rizzo recently told the Washington Post. “That’s our team.”
Sounds like someone wants a bigger share of the pie.
Ian Kennedy and Chris Young arrived during the Byrnes era, while Kennedy’s fellow ace Daniel Hudson was brought in by DiPoto.
Current D-backs GM Towers may have improved the bullpen, but he credits Kirk Gibson with forcing an ailing baseball team to conform to his winning ways.
In short, when it comes time at the end of the month to start shaking hands and popping champagne, expect a lot of people to step forward and ask for a piece of the NL West-winning credit pie.
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