00:00In Mike Hazen, another decision maker, decided to reunite with Zach Gallin, who was his ace for several years, had
00:08a down year in a contract year.
00:11He was extended the qualifying offer.
00:13He declined the qualifying offer.
00:15He hits free agency.
00:17And then two days before pitchers and catchers report, he decided after pitchers and catchers report, two days before full
00:24squad workouts, decides to sign for the qualifying offer with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
00:28It was an interesting song and dance.
00:30There were reports that Zach Gallin and Merrill Kelly declined longer and more lucrative contract offers from other teams to
00:38return to Arizona.
00:39But it seems like Arizona is running it back pitching wise with Merrill Kelly, who is already slated to start
00:45on opening day.
00:46And then Zach Gallin, who comes back on a one year, twenty two million dollar deal.
00:50Yeah, I think this was when we talked about where Gallin may end up.
00:53I just felt like this was the best fit when we discussed it, you know, a couple episodes ago.
00:57So it's an opportunity for him to throw where he's comfortable and try to build on what was a good
01:03second half.
01:04And I also think for for this Diamondbacks team, things unfolded.
01:09I think exactly what you wanted.
01:10You got some interesting prospects from Merrill Kelly.
01:12You trade at the deadline, bring him back and you get two arms here.
01:15I think for a price point that you probably weren't expecting two guys that I don't know if they would
01:22have expected to return both, maybe one of them.
01:24But to be able to get both of them back with the uncertainty in this rotation is absolutely huge.
01:28Now, you know, I still think you're going to want Corbin Burns back as soon as possible.
01:32But now you have enough options in the rotation to have Burns maybe take his time.
01:39There's a chance he rods a disaster.
01:40There's a chance that Mike Soroka blows up, you know, in that free agent signing.
01:45And even if both of those things happen, you still have Kelly, Gallin, Ryan Nelson and Brandon Fott.
01:50Now, is that the best rotation in baseball?
01:53Not by any stretch, but it's a good enough rotation to get you by, you know, while you presumably are
01:59an offensive driven team.
02:01So I feel really good about the Diamondbacks floor being solidified a bit.
02:05Even if Gallin isn't great, you look at the second half there.
02:09I mean, he went from a 5-4 ERA to a 3-9-7.
02:12If he's throwing anywhere near the low fours, high threes, this team is much, much better off with him in
02:18the fold.
02:19Again, it's always going to be offensively driven.
02:21And I think with this team, you're really just looking about getting to the second half.
02:24That's where A.J. Puck can come back.
02:26That's where you get some other reinforcements.
02:27And then maybe, again, you can continue to make some moves at the deadline.
02:31It's near impossible to pitch at Coors Field.
02:34So Rockies pitchers will always struggle.
02:36It's really hard to pitch in Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark.
02:39That is the most home run friendly ballpark in Major League Baseball.
02:43Is it hard to pitch in the desert?
02:44It's a huge ballpark, but the air is thinner, obviously.
02:49The ball seems to really fly in that ballpark.
02:53Park factor is interesting because you probably cannot rely on the data to the extent that you can rely on
02:59it with Coors and with Great American Ballpark.
03:02But this has to be a place that, I don't know, like some pitchers may love, some pitchers may hate.
03:08Curt Schilling in the early 2000s mandated that the roof was always closed, always.
03:13Even if it was an okay day in Arizona, he wanted temperature controlled things.
03:17Jordan Montgomery said it was like pitching in the rainforest or the jungle, whatever it was.
03:21There have been people that have had opinions on Chase Field and pitching in Arizona.
03:26Is this a hard place to pitch?
03:28I think it is because I think you have the combination of the environment and then it is just an
03:32extra base hit haven.
03:35I think there's more triples there than anywhere else.
03:37I know their team may contribute to that, but when you have a park factor, that's a big part of
03:40it.
03:40And then so many doubles, so many times where you're splitting the gap out there, it just feels like there's
03:45a lot of opportunity to pile runs up quickly there.
03:48So the history would show it, and I think the pitching splits at times would show it.
03:53So I think that's been the Diamondbacks' challenge is, hey, like I think it's been underestimated how difficult it is
04:00to pitch there.
04:01And some of the guys that they've brought in, maybe not fully vetting out how they would fit there, like
04:06how J-Mont would fit there, how Eduardo Rodriguez would fit there.
04:09And at least with a gallon, you've seen the success for stretches there.
04:13You know that he's built to be able to handle it also mentally.
04:16And same with Merrill Kelly, who's been fantastic there.
04:18That's why I think the running it back approach with those guys, even though it's not entirely sexy, it has
04:24much less risk for them because they know that these guys can be solid.
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