A crowded outfield is a deep one? Kubel adds pop to Diamondbacks lineup
Feb 27, 2012, 5:49 PM | Updated: 5:57 pm
The Diamondbacks had a good outfield in 2011, with Justin
Upton, Chris Young and Gerardo Parra covering as much
ground as any trio in baseball while being fairly
productive at the plate.
But that didn’t stop GM Kevin Towers from looking for
help, which he found in the form of former Twins
outfielder Jason Kubel.
Kubel was signed to a two-year, $15 million contract, with
the expectation that he’ll be taking time away from Parra
in left field.
“We have a lot of depth there,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk
Gibson said of the outfield. “Very strong and they’ll all
get a lot of playing time.”
Gibson said the plan is to get Parra more work in center,
so he can spell Young and replace him in case of injury.
Gibson may want to get all four in the lineup, but the
fact of the matter is there are only three spots
available, and he’s not benching Upton or Young. So, that
leaves Parra, a Gold Glove winner, and Kubel, the free
agent addition, fighting for innings.
Kubel knew that would be the case when he signed with the
Diamondbacks, and he had plenty of praise for his
teammate’s ability to defend, admitting it’s better than
his own.
“He is probably one of the best outfielders in the game,
so not a lot of people compare to that,” he said. “But I
play hard every day, I try to do it right, and that’s all
I can control.”
Of course, Kubel was not brought in because of his
defense. No, the Diamondbacks signed him with the
expectation of adding punch to the lineup, hoping the 29-
year-old will regain the form that saw him top the 20-
homer mark three straight seasons from 2008-2010,
including a monster 2009 where he hit .300 with 28 home
runs and 103 RBI.
Numbers like that would keep him in the lineup on a daily
basis, but no matter what happens all four outfielders
stand to get a decent amount of work.
“You can never have enough depth,” Kubel said of the
crowded outfield. “We’ve got four guys that should be
starting, so that’s a good problem. I’ll do my part and
play hard every day, and hopefully we’ll make it work
perfect.”
Arizona Sports’ Kyndra de St. Aubin contributed to this
report
