D-backs Recent Decisions Show Performance Matters Most
The Diamondbacks have made it very clear that they intend to win in 2023 and that performance matters more than development. In the past week they've designated Madison Bumgarner for assignment, then optioned outfielder Jake McCarthy and right-handed starter Drey Jameson to Triple-A Reno. With Arizona off to a 13-11 start and holding onto the National League West division lead by half a game, there is a greater sense of urgency than seasons past.
Those decisions came down to poor performance. Bumgarner followed up a poor second half with a 10.26 ERA in four starts, which exhausted the organization's patience. McCarthy is off to a .143/.229/.238 start at the plate, with resulted in him losing playing time to the hot-hitting Pavin Smith over the last couple week before getting optioned today. Jameson had struggled in back-to-back starts, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings, especially in his start Sunday against San Diego in which he had to throw 43 pitches to get through the first inning.
"You've got to perform," said Lovullo. "If you don't, then there's competitive understudies waiting to take your job. That's how it should be, and I think everybody in that room knows we've got really good young, talented players throughout the system". That's the clear message that the front office is sending to the players: those who perform well will get rewarded with more playing time, those who don't get less playing time or are sent out.
McCarthy and Jameson will need to turn around their performance in Reno in order to earn their promotion back to the big leagues. On the flip side, the strong performances by Smith and Corbin Carroll have earned them more prominent roles. Carroll has been moved up to the third spot in the order while Smith has become a mainstay in the lineup against right-handed starters.
The team's decisions to call up Henry and Rivera also come down to performance. Henry has given Reno the most consistent length, with all four of his starts between five and six innings. In his most recent start, he threw six innings with two runs allowed and a 6/2 strikeout to walk ratio. Rivera had the highest average exit velocity of all the potential call-up candidates at 90.5 MPH and the highest hard-hit (batted ball of at least 95 MPH exit velocity) rate of 48.6% in 16 games.
