An Era of Failed Management
The past cannot be changed, and although Kevin Towers and Dave Stewart have been fired, their mishaps sealed Goldy’s fate. Had deals not been made for Zack Greinke, Yasmany Tomas, and Shelby Miller among others, things may have turned out differently.
Of course, if the Diamondbacks’ extravagantly rich owner, Ken Kendrick, waved his finger, more money would appear. But, that’s another can of worms, and it is being tackled artfully.
Given the way that the MLB operates in 2018, current GM Mike Hazen, who seems to be the most competent Arizona has seen in many years, had his hands tied. Resigning Goldy to the deal he deserves at the end of 2019 was hard to imagine given the team’s current debilitating payroll obligations. By most accounts, the return on Goldy was good, but it does little to distract from the painful reality of an era blessed with a generational talent, yet disgracefully mismanaged.
The Diamondbacks brought Arizona their only championship, but that was nearly 20 years ago. As a mid-market team, the unbelievable fortune of drafting an absurdly humble MVP caliber talent in the 8th round must be capitalized upon.
Outside of the team’s NLDS loss his rookie season (in which he was called up in September) the Diamondbacks managed to win just one postseason game in Goldschmidt’s seven full seasons with the team. This failure rests on the shoulders of the previous management and it is towards them that Diamondbacks fans should direct their disappointment.