This certainly makes the Reds' side of this trade look even better.

Okay, just so I have this straight...

October 20, 2012

As part of a 3-team trade, traded Chris Young and cash to the Oakland Athletics. Received Cliff Pennington from the Oakland Athletics and Heath Bell and cash from the Miami Marlins. In addition, the Oakland Athletics sent Yordy Cabrera (minors) to the Miami Marlins.

November 20, 2012

Traded Ryan Wheeler to the Colorado Rockies. Received Matt Reynolds.

As part of a 3-team trade, traded Matt Albers, Trevor Bauer and Bryan Shaw to the Cleveland Indians. Received Didi Gregorius from the Cincinnati Reds and Lars Anderson and Tony Sipp from the Cleveland Indians. In addition, the Cincinnati Reds sent Drew Stubbs to the Cleveland Indians; and the Cleveland Indians sent Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald and cash to the Cincinnati Reds.

January 24, 2013

Traded Chris Johnson and Justin Upton to the Atlanta Braves. Received Brandon Drury (minors), Nick Ahmed (minors), Zeke Spruill (minors), Randall Delgado and Martin Prado.

_________________________________________________________________________

Meaning, just on the trade side this year:

TRADED:

Justin Upton
Chris Young
Trevor Bauer
Chris Johnson
Matt Albers
Bryan Shaw
Ryan Wheeler

RECEIVED:

Martin Prado
Cliff Pennington
Randall Delgado
Heath Bell
Matt Reynolds
Tony Sipp
Didi Gregorius
Brandon Drury
Nick Ahmed
Zeke Spruill
Lars Anderson

Wait a minute, wait a minute...

I wasn't paying too much attention when it happened. All the Diamondbacks got for Trevor Bauer (plus others) was a young no-hit shortstop, a LOOGY, and a guy they DFAed shortly thereafter? What the hell? I don't understand.

They didn't like Bauer and they didn't like Upton. Not so much as players (though I'm guessing that was part of it), but as people. Towers apparently really liked Gregorius (had him as a Jeter comp).

This is their plan and we'll see how it works for them.

I'm amazed that someone named "Didi Gregorius" turned out to be real and not just a character from a novel, so this may suck, but it is still better than expected.

young no-hit shortstop, a LOOGY, and a guy they DFAed shortly thereafter? What the hell? I don't understand.

You are way off in your evaluation of the trade, hence your confusion.

The DBacks actually got an INJURED no-hit shortstop who is 23 years old, ie not especially young (made AA at age 21, AAA at age 22), a LOOGY, and a guy they DFAed shortly thereafter.

Isn't clear now?

The un-acknowledged genius of Kevin Towers is how he still has a job.

The un-acknowledged genius of Kevin Towers is how he still has a job.

As I posted in THIS THREAD they believe they have brought in clutch gritty players who will hit in late and close.

The Genius is when the inevtiable regression occurs, and the "improve" in this area, Towers will take credit for it.

Even #6 understates things a bit.

They traded for Cliff Pennington, a no-hit SS.
They traded for Didi Gregorious, a no-hit SS.
They traded for Nick Ahmed, a no-hit SS who just finished A+ at 22.

Nick Piecoro continues to dish on this story.

If you can think of a halfway decent motivational sports cliché, it’s a safe bet that someone with the Diamondbacks uttered it on Friday morning, the club’s first day of full squad workouts at Salt River Fields.

It’s not that they don’t realize the things they’re saying might come across as corny, it’s that they don’t care because they truly believe them.

The Diamondbacks are a team seemingly proud to be lacking in star power. They believe the whole is greater than the sum of their parts. They think they’ve assembled a roster of selfless, winning players.

And while they seem to like to tiptoe around it, they’ve hinted this week that they believe their mediocrity from 2012 was more a matter of culture than talent.

LINK

You gotta give them credit at least for REALLY being on message, and having the conviction to follow through with what they believe. I thought one of the Facebook comments was pretty spot on. "Didn't they change the culture in 2011 ?"

Upon further review

I don’t think the timeline of this “News” report is credible. I went back after reviewing this again after posting and noticed the timeline was off. I am the “anonymous” challenging the author on the timeline in the comments section of the post.

The link isn’t working right by the way…..not sure why.

Anyway…..If I could, I would just delete this submission. It’s not fair or accurate. It’s speculation posted by a guy claiming to post news. My bad for not vetting more carefully before making a submission

Apology to all.

And while they seem to like to tiptoe around it, they’ve hinted this week that they believe their mediocrity from 2012 was more a matter of culture than talent.

Ok, but you improved (in theory) the culture by reducing the amount of talent. I suppose Gibson and Towers will consider it a moral victory if they achieve their 81 wins via culture and grit this season.