Webb May Pitch in 2010

Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks may try to pitch for the first time in nearly two seasons... out of the bullpen.

Let me get this straight.  A guy who dominated in 2006 to win the Cy Young... as the best pitcher in the National League... is thinking about coming back this season by pitching in the bullpen.  Did I miss something?  Do the Diamondbacks have such starting pitching depth that the can trade away Edwin Jackson, who threw a no-hitter this season, and Dan Haren, who was a legitimate Cy Young candidate last season, and then have Brandon Webb pitch out of the bullpen?

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that Kennedy, Saunders, Lopez, Enright & Hudson where such a formidable force on the mound.  The D'Backs might as well toss aside Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux and Avery for that rotation.

Does anybody wonder why the Diamondbacks have been so bad the last couple of years?  I think I've found your answer.

News from the Mill

As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, there are all sorts of rumors going on out there.  If you kept up with baseball rumors, you still would have been somewhat surprised that Dan Haren was traded to the Angels, a team that I hadn't seen mentioned in any rumors before it happened.  But, alongside all the rumors floating about, there's quite a bit of other news going on.  So, in rapid-fire succession:

• Jim Edmonds essentially announced his retirement, which is a surprise to precisely nobody.  Edmonds has had a borderline Hall of Fame career, but he had a hard time finding somebody that would take him this season.  It definitely wasn't going to be easy next year for the 40-year old outfielder.
• In similar news, Brad Ausmus, the 41-year old catcher mostly known (to me) for his years with Astros, will take his 80 career home runs, lifetime .252 batting average, 3 Gold Gloves and 1 All Star appearance and call it a career.  Wait, Brad Ausmus is still playing?
• Ben Sheets is returning to a very familiar place... the disabled list.  He will join David DeJesus of the Kansas City Royals on the DL and on the list of players that should have been traded two weeks ago.
• Livan Hernandez apparently doesn't want to retire just yet.  He has said that he can imagine himself playing four more years and would like to retire as a National.  When asked, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said, "Wait, Livan is still playing?"

Mark Mulder Retires

According to MLBTradeRumors.com, pitcher Mark Mulder has retired.  Of course, this isn't any surprise because Mulder admittedly hasn't touched a baseball since February and has been playing in amateur golf tournaments through Arizona, winning 6 of the 9 tournaments that he has entered.

It also isn't a surprise because Mulder has barely pitched since the end of 2005, a year after the Cardinals traded for him from the A's for DAN FREAKING HAREN and a couple other players who aren't that important right now.  Haren is currently one of the most sought after pitchers in the trading market, while Mulder retired with a 22-18 record as a Cardinal.  Guess who got the better end of that deal.