Offer the Red Sox Green for Keith Foulke and cash or a marginal prospect. They won't be needing his considerably-salaried non-closer presence in Beantown with Papelbon around. And there's your closer for the D-Backs.

I don't really think Green would be an upgrade over Trot Nixon or Wily Mo Pena, but it seems like the kind of deal the Sox would make.

The D-backs certainly have a lot of those "good choices to have". There is a bit of an unbalance between the hitters and the pitchers and I would be looking to add starting pitching in the offseason.

I would keep Estrada at his arbitration number (~4M) and when Montero is ready, deal him for a minor league depth or a pitcher. I would also try to get Snyder in the lineup a little more often, may be a 50-50 split.

At first, I would trade Conor Jackson for the best young starting pitcher I could get (e.g. Ervin Santana, Zach Duke). I then would give Chris Carter every opportunity at first with the knowledge that if he fails Scott Hairston, Shawn Green or Tony Clark could fill-in.

While I would love the O-dog to take the job and not give up, I just don't think that he will find a permanent house in Arizona.  I would be looking for minor league depth whether it be pitching or hitting (they need depth in the infield). I would give Alberto Callapso the job at second and try to resign to Counsell as a back-up and for his veteran leadership. 

At short, you have to go with Stephen Drew. He was ready at the start of the season and has shown more than enough since his call-up.

At third, I would stick with Chad Tracy but try to sign a veteran pinch hitter who can play third and add depth to replace Damion Easley. Preferably a lefty bat, no one on the free agent list seems to fit, but someone will come available.

In the outfield, I would pick-up Gonzo's option if I could deal Shawn Green but I doubt that will happen without picking up a big chunk of salary, so Gonzo is gone. I would also trade Eric Byrnes while his value is high, even if it means having to tender him. Like with O-dog, I would be looking for as many minor league goodies as I can find. That leaves Carlos Quentin in right, Chris Young in center and Green in left with Jeff Davanon and Scott Hairston providing depth. Considerng Scott Hairston's injury history, I would also add another back-up outfielder with some sock in his bat, minor league free agent/AAAA type, to bridge the gap until Carlos Gonzalez and Justin Upton are ready. One of them should step in for Green in 2008, the other in 2009.

The lineup would look as follows:

2B - Alberto Callapso

SS - Stephen Drew

3B - Chad Tracy

RF - Carlos Quentin

1B - Chris Carter

LF - Shawn Green

C - Johnny Estrada/Chris Snyder

CF - Chris Young

With a bench of Craig Counsell, Jeff Davanon, Tony Clark, Scott Hairston and lefty thirdbaseman.

The core of next years rotation would be Brandon Webb, Livan Hernandez and the young pitcher acquired in the Conor Jackson trade. I would see I could deal Vargas for minor leaguers but if not I would non-tender him. I would also give one spot to one of the young pitchers on the team with the first shot going to Enrique Gonzalez with Micah Owings as the long tem replacement. Dustin Nippert, Juan Cruz and Edgar Gonzalez will all get a shot if Enrique fails before Owings is ready. Ross Ohlendorf and Greg Smith, a couple of Double A groundball specialists, provide some extra depth for 2008 and beyond though I think they will miss Garret Mock and Matt Chico (it is always a bad idea to trade with someone who knows your system better than you do, thanks Mike Rizzo). The fourth pitcher will come through free agency - there should be plenty of dollars to throw around for a a quality arm with Gonzo (11.5M), Byrnes (2.25M), O-dog (2.3M), Batista (4.75M), Vargas (1.275M), Koplove (1.15M) and Vizcaino (1.775M) salaries off the books (13M will go to Livan and raises to Green, Webb and Tracy - leaving 12M). There isn't much in terms of free agent pitchers but I would target a short term big money (15M a year for two years) deal for Jason Schmidt, failing that and providing the medicals are good I would look at Randy Wolf on a Kris Benson type deal. And failing that I would look at the reliable vets (Maddux, Pettitte) on a one plus option year deals in the 8M range.

For the bullpen, I would continue with the current mix of young arms. An arbitration deal for Julio will probably be overpriced but not as bad as getting a closer on the free agent market, so I tender Julio and keep him at the back end. Brandon Medders and Tony Pena will pitch the high leverage innings. The rest of the bullpen would be filled out from a mix of who is pitching well at the time between Brandon Lyon, Greg Aquino, Dustin Nippert, Juan Cruz, Edgar Gonzalez, Casey Daigle, Randy Choate, Jose Valverde and Jeff Bajernu.

Anyway, the plan would be to have a young but very talented team in the field with quality veterans on the bench and a consistent, low risk, even if underwhelming rotation, behind Webb and talented, young and cheap middle relief and a closer who adds stability if nothing else. The growth of the team will come from the progress of the young position players, developing starting pitching to replace Livan and fill the fourth and fifth spots and replenishing the system's depth once this current crop of players graduate or fade away (thus the strategic importance of the O-dog, Byrnes and Estrada trades). 

Brandon Webb is having a nice year -- didn't realize he was 12-4! -- and that career ERA (3.22 currently) is very nice. But he just doesn't scream "ace" to me in the Schilling-Halladay-Clemens mold.

Sure, not every team has That Guy. But what would AZ have to do to get one? I think putting a Guy like that -- or even potentially like that, a Dontrelle Willis sort -- makes them the clear-cut favourite in the NL West for the next four or five years.

Here's my version of the Snakes of '07

Batters                                                 Salaries(millions)

RF S.Green                                                   9.5

CF  C.Young                                                   0.3 (arb)

LF  Quentin                                                    0.3 (arb)

1B   C.Jackson                                               1   (don't talk long-term contract until more power is shown)

2B   O.Hudson                                                4 (contract)(talk 4 year deal/20mil)

SS   S.Drew                                                      2.3(finish up the burden of that signing bonus)

3B   C.Tracy                                                      2.75(even if '05  is his ceiling, his contract works in D-Back's favour)

C    Estrada                                                     4(contract)(shop him around just to see what you'd get once Montero is reading to resume a platoon with Snyder)

Bench

S. Hairston                                                    0.5(good pop and speed, very versatile)

DaVanon                                                       1.25(good value and injury replacement)

T.Clark                                                           1(good power off the bench)

C.Snyder                                                      0.7(developing well, may challenge for more playing time)

C.Consell                                                    2(fan-favourite is worth the 2 million as it gives fans continuity, plus he's verstatile)

Total                                                            $ 29.6 mil

Notes: Upton gets more time to develop(hopefully for two more full seasons unless his bat forces a promotion) and for now, we'll hold off on that signing bonus. Carlos Gonzalez gets more time to develop and replace Green in '08.

Pitching

Webb                                                           4.5 (he's good at 24 and hopefully the O-Dog contract works out to help this groundballer)

L.Hernandez                                              7(he  logs innings and could be a trade-deadline boon if things don't work out)

Cruz                                                             2(1-year deal :a reward for a good season, future though depends on replication especially with Nippert and Garret Mock breathing down his neck not to mention the E.Gonzalez's)

Bullpen

Lyon, Valverde, Aquino, Daigle, Medders, Enrique Gonzalez all for about $3million(through arbitration)

Total thus far                                                      $16.5+29.6=46.1

Notes: young pitchers like Edgar Gonzalez and Nippert and Mock get a chance to work for September call-ups and more importantly to develop.

Free-Agency, In case any of you were wondering what type of crank I was considering I only mentioned 3 starters and a bullpen missing a guy. Well, this team lacks a solid lefty, we would approach Everyday Eddie to see if he would consider being our lefty specialist/closer for 3 mil, he'd probably turn it down so we would go with Ron Villon at $3 million(I'd love a lower cost but pitching is expensive). I'd go with Valverde as my closer and Lyon and Aquino as set-up guys.

Now that payroll's firmly at around $50mil, we can pursue the big boys! I like Zito the most, we'd overpay at $15 mil per annum(given how the market is, that might be a steal!) and look to sign Gil Meche at $5mil(hoping that his bad outings lately will lower his asking price). Given that I've pestered ownership for that extra $10mil to bring the payroll to $70, I'd ask for an advance on next year's payroll to sign Kerry Wood, yes you read that correctly, for a base salary of $2mil with an incentive deal (based on innings, WHIP, ERA, Cy Young voting) worth up to $15mil.

And voila! If the D-Backs win a World Series with a rotation featuring Zito, Webb, Hernandez, and Wood, I don't think ownership would be too unwilling to forget Wood's salary!