Former GM Dipoto set D-backs up for success
Jun 15, 2012, 8:58 PM | Updated: 10:29 pm
Jerry Dipoto is no longer with the Arizona Diamondbacks,
though his imprint will last for a while.
Daniel Hudson, Patrick Corbin and Tyler Skaggs were all
acquired by the now-Angels GM, who had the unenviable task
of trying to rebuild the Diamondbacks over a couple months
back in 2010.
The process involved trading pitchers Dan Haren and Edwin
Jackson in separate deals and, in an ironic twist of fate,
Dipoto and Haren were reunited this season.
Still, Dipoto was the guy who shipped Haren out of
Arizona.
“The reality with that trade, and with any trade, is that
every organization has its own circumstances at a given
point in time,” Dipoto told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and
Gambo Friday. “Danny was great for us there in Arizona and
he’s been fantastic for the Angels since he’s come over
here.”
Haren compiled a 37-26 record and 3.56 ERA in 87 starts
for the D-backs over parts of three seasons, but never
reached the playoffs with the team. Given that he was in
the midst of a down year in 2010 (7-8 with a 4.60 ERA), it
made sense for Arizona to move its high-priced hurler.
“When we made that trade we were a team that needed to get
deeper, and the trade of Dan Haren from the Diamondbacks
to the Angels allowed us to do just that,” Dipoto said.
Dipoto noted that besides the players the D-backs got in
the deal — Corbin, Skaggs, Rafael Rodriguez and Joe
Saunders — the team also gained flexibility that turned
into guys like J.J. Putz and David Hernandez.
“A lot of that was made possible through trading Dan
Haren, getting the young left-handers, putting Joe
Saunders in the rotation to stabilize it as we thought it
would.
