This isn’t exactly breaking news, but the Arizona Diamondbacks’ season is over. The Snakes are last in the NL West and have a better record only than the sad-sack Washington Nationals.
For those WagerWeb.com backers who were hoping for a late-season surge by the team to a wild-card spot, you can officially forget about it now that it appears ace Brandon Webb is out for the season. And expect trades to follow.
Webb, who was the second WagerWeb.com preseason favorite for the NL Cy Young Award (behind Johan Santana), has been on the disabled list since April 13 because of shoulder problems. He began to experience discomfort during spring training and made one start before going on the DL.
He underwent a second MRI on Tuesday to determine the next course of action. Should Webb follow through on the surgery to repair his labrum (as is considered likely), he could miss nine months.
Obviously it makes more sense for the team to have Webb undergo surgery now because if it is delayed any longer, he could miss the start of 2010. So far he has just been resting.
“The priorities have shifted to making sure we know everything about his health, everything about what is causing his pain,” D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said.
Webb, the 2006 NL Cy Young winner, has averaged 15-plus wins and 178 strikeouts over the past five seasons. But he also has pitched 1,135 innings in that time, so maybe this injury was rather predictable.
It was clear Webb was off in his lone start of the season, allowing six hits, six runs, two homers and walking two against the Rockies. The Snakes haven’t been the same since, with the rotation just 20-27, and Dan Haren has six of those wins. Max Scherzer has been decent behind Haren, but that’s about it.
Look for Arizona to start taking offers for players, with pitcher Jon Garland (4-7, 4.99) chief among them.
Webb, by the way, is under contract for $8 million next year, but the team has a buyout of $1.5 million.
Before the season, the Diamondbacks had approached Webb about signing an extension, but the sides couldn’t agree. That’s looking like good fortune for Arizona right now.
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