The Arizona Diamondbacks made two big trades on Friday. Both involved high-profile pitchers.
Prospects for Haren
In the first, they sent a boatload of minor leaguers to Oakland for right-hander Dan Haren and change.
The linked article provides detailed information on the prospects involved. Suffice to say, they aren’t scrubs. Arizona has a very deep farm system and some terrific young talent at the big-league level. When you’re in that position, you can go out and get a guy like Haren.
Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is the centerpiece of the package headed to the A’s. First baseman Chris Carter, acquired a couple weeks ago from …read more

The Arizona Diamondbacks have traded disappointing outfielder Carlos Quentin to the Chicago White Sox for first-base prospect Chris Carter. The 26-year-old Quentin, a former first-round pick with excellent minor-league credentials (.313/.413/.527 in nearly 1600 PA), never got his career rolling in Phoenix (.230/.316/.425 in about 450 PA), due in part to injuries.

So much for giving myself the day off. This story about a handwriting analyst profiling the Arizona Diamondbacks is too good to resist. Mark Hopper assesses a few players as well as manager Bob Melvin. I have no idea what to make of this, but if nothing else, it’s a fascinating read. Check out this bit on outfielder Carlos Quentin:
Observe the massive signature size, sharp endings, and his print/cursive mix. Carlos is an extremely overly confident individual who is hard driving, tough and driven. His huge ego fills the room, but he also has intellectual talents in addition to his …read more