D-backs’ Derrick Hall: ‘This will not be a two or three-year rebuild’
Jul 10, 2014, 4:41 PM | Updated: 4:54 pm
The trade deadline in Major League Baseball is still three weeks away, but the Arizona Diamondbacks have already started the process of reshaping their roster.
Last weekend, the team struck two deals. First, they dealt left-handed reliever Joe Thatcher and outfielder Tony Campana to the Los Angeles Angels for minor leaguers Zach Borenstein and Joey Krehbiel. Then, starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy was shipped to the New York Yankees in exchange for left-hander Vidal Nuño.
According to D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall, they’re not done yet.
“Any moves that we make, and we are going to make more moves, they have to be in those areas where we have depth and areas where we think we can strengthen ourselves as early as next year,” Hall told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I want to make it perfectly clear, we’re not looking at a two to three-year rebuild here.”
Hall discussed the slew of injuries the D-backs have experienced this season, but viewed them as an opportunity for the organization during a season that has not gone according to plan.
“This is an exciting time and I think if you’re a fan, you should be watching closely and say ‘hey, this is a team that can turn things around quickly,'” he said.
Hall believes the turnaround has to begin on the pitcher’s mound.
“You’re only as good as your starting pitcher is and when you have a team right now where you have one starter who was actually in the rotation on Opening Day — and that’s Wade Miley, the rest were not — that’s concerning,” he said. “It tells you that it’s an area that needs to be addressed and it will be through free agency or getting creative through trades and right now, if you’re going to look for pitching, you’re going to look for either Major League-ready pitching or you’re going for top prospects who can be ready maybe as early as next year.”
Other than starting pitching, Hall feels the Diamondbacks are severely lacking in another department.
“It’s pretty clear we still need one offensive tool, we lack a lot of power,” he said. “You can just see we don’t have that kind of power right now. We have a lot of good offensive players, we’re hitting the gaps, we’re getting base hits, but we do need that power, so we need to address that.”
The Diamondbacks have 74 home runs this season, tied for 22nd-most in Major League Baseball.
