The Diamondbacks' busy offseason — particularly as it relates to their rotation — has Tony La Russa eager to see how the NL West shakes out in 2016.
Arizona's "chief baseball officer" (seriously) is preparing for his 51st camp, and he hasn't lost that feeling of spring's anticipation.
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“It’s exactly the same challenge as Chicago, Oakland and St. Louis. I’m all fired up to see if we’re good enough to win enough games to contend, first, good enough to get into October, good enough to get into that final tournament, which is so exciting," La Russa told The Arizona Republic on Monday.
The Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world twice this winter, first getting in late to sign free-agent righthander Zack Greinke for six years and $206.5 million, and weakening their division rivals the Dodgers, for whom Greinke went 19-3 in 2015. Then they traded top prospect Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, to the Braves for righthander Shelby Miller.
Throw in two-time All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard, signed to a two-year deal, and former All-Star shortstop Jean Segura, recently acquired from the Brewers, who'll join a lineup anchored by Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, David Peralta and Ender Inciarte, all of whom batted over .300 in 2015.
All those moves have the Diamondbacks (79-83 last season) poised to make some noise in the NL West in 2016.
“You can’t fake this s—," La Russa said. "I’m fired up,”
