Hale enjoys seeing the Diamondbacks’ young pitching staff grow together
Jul 31, 2015, 4:39 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Robbie Ray, walks off the mound after handing the ball over to manager Chip Hale (3) during the eighth inning of an interleague baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. The Diamondbacks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The MLB non-waiver trade deadline has passed and there were no moves made by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
D-backs president Derrick Hall had said prior to the deadline the team planned on being active but wouldn’t “sell the farm” for a rental. Manager Chip Hale reiterated those sentiments Friday with Bickley and Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
“We like the guys we have in the clubhouse,” Hale said. “I think with what we were trying to do was make us better as an organization, not only for the end of this year but for next year and the future.”
The problem is, the D-backs weren’t able to find a player who would come for the right price and be able to help them now and in the future.
“They just couldn’t come to terms with any of those and really, the ask was just way too much I think, for us and the future,” Hale said. “We need those bullets down the road.”
The team is on an upswing heading into Friday’s matchup with the Houston Astros. They have won six of their last seven, sweeping the Seattle Mariners and taking the series against the Brewers. This, though, came after back-to-back sweeps from the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets followed by losing the series to the Miami Marlins.
That inconsistency seems to be a result of the youth they are trying to preserve, specifically with pitching.
“If we play like we’ve played this last week, we can compete with anyone in the league,” Hale said. “It’s just staying consistent with our starting pitching which is hard to do with young pitchers who don’t have the experience that some of the teams we’re playing do have.”
The D-backs have a team ERA of 4.03 this season, good for eleventh in the National League. The starters have an ERA of 4.41 and the relievers allow 3.39 runs on average.
“The less experience you have, and the more anxiety creeps in, the ball seems to go in the zone,” Hale said. “So we have to keep the anxiety out and keep that ball moving downward.”
Regardless of the issues a young team brings, Hale likes what he sees from his pitchers.
“As a group, they’re growing together and learning together. It’s nice to see them talk on the bench, talk in the bullpen, watching each other, and learning from each other. One guy all of the sudden pitches a good game, pretty soon the next guy wants to pitch a better game. That’s kind of the road we’re on right now and want to continue it.”
