apropos of nothing, but "Chase" is also the name of Trot's son.

My thoughts on the deal (already posted on the DBBP board a couple of days ago):

This deal was a friendly gesture by JByrnes. This was a lot less about baseball and more about Nixon... Basically I think JByrnes is doing him a favor by giving him the opportunity to show in ST that he's healthy, so that he could potentially catch on with another team. Nixon would never go to the minors, so the whole contract is less about Nixon's future in AZ as it's about AZ having an out once Tracy is back... just in case Nixon doesn't want to go.

Nixon really is the last guy the Dbacks need. He's not a 4th outfielder (Salazar is) or 5th outfielder (Burke is). He cannot play 1b. He doesn't have power to be a solid pinch hitter (Tracy and Montero would both be ahead of him in the PH department if I were BoMel). He's basically a poor man's Sean Casey--a nice guy who once was pretty good, even though never as good as most people thought he was. Now he's just getting opportunities by the virtue of being a proven veteran and a really nice guy in the clubhouse.

Whatever, he's not going to contribute anything to AZ this season, as I really don't see him making the 25 man roster unless the four horses of the apocalypse come into camp this week. This is basically a chance that JB is giving him to show off in spring training games and potentially catch the eyes of Buzzie Bavasi's idiot son. Which is OK too...

"He doesn't have power to be a solid pinch hitter (Tracy and Montero would both be ahead of him in the PH department if I were BoMel)."

Havn't non power hitters been shown to be more effective in pinch hitting situations? Guys who make contact and hit doubles, not the boom or bust sorts?

MM1F, I'd rather take the Tony Clarks of the world over the Casey/Nixon types.

I read somewhere just recently that the 2007 Dbacks pinch hitters were 10th in BA but 1st in HRs in the majors last year. I'd take that statistic in 2008 in a heart beat.

Never mind that, I also think Nixon is toast, and won't hit home runs or doubles in 08. His trends since 04:

YEAR, SGL%, HR/F
2004, .510, 10.7%
2005, .446, 9.6%
2006, .394, 5.7%
2007, .336, 2.7%

Pardon me for thinking that his pessimistic line of .331 OBP/.319 SLG is his ceiling in 2008

I agree with Levski (is that even legal?) that this is just Byrnes giving Trot a chance to showcase his ability.

OK, it's early on a Sunday morning (halfway around the world), but when I saw the headline, I thought it was Otis Nixon.

I immediately wondered why the Giants hadn't snapped him up.

If Tracy isn't ready to go, Nixon can fill precisely zero - 1b, 3b, PH - of the necessary roles. Byrnes had the entire offseason to add a back-up for Tracy who, with the exit of Clark, became the corner IF back-up and PH. His answers are Hammock and Nixon. But, hey, the team is loaded with back-ups at 2b, which happens to be the home of the most durable player on the team.

Byrnes had the entire offseason to add a back-up for Tracy who, with the exit of Clark, became the corner IF back-up and PH. His answers are Hammock and Nixon.

It's not hard to find a corner IF back-up and PH. One presumes they're waiting until some players get cut during spring training. That's the role Wes Helms was born to play, for instance.

It's not hard to find a corner IF back-up and PH. One presumes they're waiting until some players get cut during spring training. That's the role Wes Helms was born to play, for instance.

I already see 15 guys for less than 15 spots:

Montero
Snyder
Jackson
Hudson
Drew
Reynolds
Burke
Ojeda
Upton
Young
Byrnes
Salazar
Hammock
Tracy
Nixon

Barring major injury in March, some combination of that group is going to be the 25. I don't see where they add anybody, particularly with their self-imposed budget concerns.

I read somewhere just recently that the 2007 Dbacks pinch hitters were 10th in BA but 1st in HRs in the majors last year. I'd take that statistic in 2008 in a heart beat.

it's very easy to think of situations in which this comparison doesn't work. what if they lead the league with 3 home runs, but are 10th in batting average with the first place pinch hitters hitting .350?

as it turns out, arizona was 7th in ph batting average (.239), 2nd in runs scored (30), 1st in homers (11). st. louis led the majors in runs scored (35), batting average (.296), and was tied with 5 other teams for 12th in homers (5). i need to have a more in depth look, though, because just a quick look at the last five years shows all kinds of variation.

The importance of this signing cannot be overstated.

10: thanks for the correction. so 7th instead of 10th in ba. my main point stands, however: i fail to see how nixon would help with either ba or home runs. hopefully tracy and montero are both fully healthy and this signing becomes irrelevant.

Montero is still struggling with his fractured index finger. He was swinging a bat, and had to shut it down for 3 days. Tracy still hasn't run yet, or if he did, today was the first day. He has all but admitted he won't be ready to go on March 31st.

Walt Davis where are you? Are you in China (I am)?

a token $5 million

sigh