We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere. To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2011 fantasy baseball questions regarding their team. We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2011 Diamondbacks Fantasy Baseball Preview comes courtesy of Venom Strikes.
1. I’m a little silly for Brandon Allen. That was written with reckless a-Brandon! Sorry, that’s terrible. So what’s your best guess for his playing time? Is Juan Miranda really the starting first baseman? Nady?
It is really tough to gauge what the Dbacks want to do with Allen. I am going to guess it will all depend on how his spring goes. I know they want to give him a shot in the outfield, but that is quickly filling up and his playing time with the addition of Nady remains to be seen. I thought he would be the guy they wanted to build around after the rumors last season surfaced that they were going to decline the option on Adam Laroche, but then they got Miranda, eventually did decline Laroche’s option and have said Miranda will be the guy at first. As for Nady, he is another wild card. I don’t know what they want to do with him yet. Again, I think the Dbacks are going to play a wait and see approach with a lot of their roster as spring progresses.
2. I think this is the year we see the Stephen Drew that everyone’s been waiting for. I have absolutely nothing to back that up. Care to venture a reason? Or just think I’m nuts and Drew’s going to keep being slightly better than mediocre?
I have nothing to backup your prediction either unfortunately. Drew really started coming on middle of the season in 2010. He started out really really slow and I thought he was headed towards bust-ville. Then…he busted out. I think this HAS to be his year otherwise the Dbacks may end up losing patience with the shortstop. He is headed into his fifth season. I think it’s time to put up or shut up.
3. Justin Upton seems like a nice candidate to have a huge bounce back season… At least that’s what I keep trying to tell myself but when the GM tries his best to trade him away it worries me. Is Upton’s shoulder going to be an issue again? Will he bounce back?
The whole issue with the trade rumors I think was a direct result of trying to send Upton a message. Perform or you are gone. Upton was never clear on why his name was thrown around but has said he wants to be here. He needs top prove it on the field. The strikeouts need to be reduced and he needs more productive at-bats. I’m not sure we were ever in danger of seeing Upton leaving the Dbacks via trade, at least not this season. I haven’t heard any recent updates on his shoulder, but I am fairly certain if it becomes an issue during the season again and he is under-performing, then he may not be in a Dbacks uniform in 2012.
4. Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson both have my heart aflutter. (That’s the most manly aflutter a person can have, btw.) What kind of seasons do you see from each of them?
Kennedy had three different seasons in one in 2010. Started out very good, surprising as we were not expecting it. Then we expected it to continue and it didn’t. He struggled the middle months of the season before finishing off strong. He is probably the number one or two in the rotation though. Dbacks will count on him to be an innings eater and oh yeah, get some wins. I love the addition of Hudson. He was a very surprising performer after being traded by the White Sox. I expected him to falter at some point in September last season, much like we saw Enright do, but he was consistent. I think he is in the right place and I expect big things from him in 2011.
5. Listen, I know mustaches. Clay Zavada’s is a thing of beauty. I heard it invented electricity. Pat yourself on the back for even seeing that mustache on TV. But can his mustache in its infinite power fix Zach Duke?
Zach Duke played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Just leaving that team and going anywhere should power his game. At least the Dbacks won’t get beat by him anymore. My question is will we see the Duke that the Pirates gave up on or the Duke that was the rookie of the year candidate? They say a change of scenery sometimes helps. I just wonder what happened in Pittsburgh to the point where they were no longer interested in him? As for Zavada’s mustache, I really hope we get to see it on the field someday again. He really struggled in 2010 down in the minors. That thing is a work of art.
