Josh Byrnes chats online with fans

angrytick: Hello Mr. Byrnes. I think the No. 1 priority in all D-back fans’ minds is to lock up Brandon Webb long term.

Byrnes: We have two more years of contractual control on Webby. Fortunately, that is a fair amount of time to make the best decision for both parties. Three years ago, we signed Webby to a five-year contract, and he has performed at an extraordinarily high level throughout this contract. We will certainly take great care to make the best decision for him and our team construction heading into the next decade.

HavasuFan: Will there be any emphasis on patience behind the plate this season? With the exception of Connor Jackson, it seems many of our hitters have never met a first pitch they didn’t like. That results in players breaking strike out records.

Byrnes: Good question. Actually, our BB totals were very strong. Unfortunately, our SO totals were too high. In a perfect world, there is a relationship between BB/SO/HR output in players. For practical purposes, many of our hitters are learning at-bat management and balancing aggressiveness with patience.