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Arizona Diamondbacks Inside Pitch

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Updated Dec 11, 2009 6:00 AM ET
     
 
The Diamondbacks wasted no time in assembling the final pieces of their rotation at the winter meetings, acquiring right-handers Edwin Jackson from Detroit and Ian Kennedy from the New York Yankees in a three-team deal that was finalized Dec. 9 and was the only major trade completed at the meetings.

The D-backs sent right-hander Max Scherzer and left-handed reliever reliever Daniel Schlereth to the Tigers but will plug Jackson into Scherzer's No. 3 spot in the rotation and figure to slide Kennedy in at No. 4, ahead of right-hander Billy Buckner, at least temporarily. Jackson is arbitration-eligible and will get a raise from the $2.3 million he made in 2009 and Scherzer and Schlereth still play for the minimum, which means the D-backs added about $4 million to their payroll for 2010, expected to top out in the $75 million range.

"We feel the addition of two starters will solidify our rotation," D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said. "Edwin Jackson is a young All-Star who has continued to improve in recent years, and Ian Kennedy is a former first-rounder with a history of success and a tremendous feel for pitching."

Jackson, 26, was 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA in 33 starts for Detroit last season, when he was a first-time All-Star. He had 161 strikeouts in 214 innings, finishing seventh in the AL in ERA and innings. He is 38-39 in parts of seven seasons in the majors after breaking in with the Dodgers in 2003, and he appears to have overcome the command issues that hampered him early in his career.

Scherzer, 25, was 9-11 with a 4.12 ERA in 170 1/3 innings last season, striking out 174. Scherzer was dominant at times last season, his first in the rotation, but he often struggled to get through five innings in fewer than 100 pitches. He has yet to master a second pitch to go with his high-90s fastball. His longest outing last season was 7 2/3 innings, and he did that twice. He did not reach the sixth inning in 14 of his 30 starts.

The D-backs liked what they saw of Kennedy, 24, in the prospect-heavy Arizona Fall League, where he was 2-1 with a 4.25 ERA with the Surprise Rafters, striking out 28 in 29 1/3 innings. Kennedy missed most of last season after undergoing surgery May 12 for an aneurysm under his right arm. He was the Yankees' No, 1 pick in 2006, chosen ahead of right-hander Joba Chamberlain.

Even with the expected raise for Jackson, the D-backs appear to have almost $10 million to spend on general manager Byrnes' other targets, another bullpen veteran (even after the addition of right-hander Aaron Heilman) and a veteran position player reserve, possibly a left-handed bat since the D-backs' regular lineup is right-hand heavy. If the free agent market cooperates, they also will try for another pitcher for the back end of the rotation.
Tagged: Diamondbacks

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