The Pulse: Fans say Diamondbacks most in need of an ace
Dec 15, 2014, 4:28 AM | Updated: 4:28 am
The Arizona Diamondbacks have already made several moves early in the offseason, with the latest being a trade of starting pitcher Wade Miley to the Boston Red Sox.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, we asked our readers in the Sanderson Ford Poll Question of the Day what the Diamondbacks’ biggest need is after all of their offseason acquisitions to this point.
The response was clear: The D-backs are in need of a rock-solid starting pitcher. Out of 618 voters, 468 (76 percent) said the team’s most pressing need is “an ace.” No other option was even close in the poll.
Perhaps the respondents think Patrick Corbin isn’t “ace” material, or that he won’t be quite the same after undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing all of the 2014 regular season. Either way, it looks like fans still see a need for that top-of-the-staff kind of guy.
The second-most popular answer in the poll was “starting catcher,” as 95 people (15 percent) clicked this option. A starting catcher certainly is a legitimate concern after veteran Miguel Montero was dealt to the Chicago Cubs last week.
The third-most clicked-on answer in the poll was “bullpen depth,” which took 5 percent of the vote. Relief pitching was one of many head-scratching areas for the team in its 64-98 campaign.
The least-popular answer was “power bat,” as only 4 percent of voters picked that response. Not that power hitting isn’t a concern for the Diamondbacks, but at the very least, they should take the field in 2015 with Paul Goldschmidt, Mark Trumbo and possibly Yasmany Tomas in the lineup.
