On Jan. 24, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Justin Upton to the Atlanta Braves. They traded a two-time all-star and a fourth place MVP finisher in 2011.
They also traded a lot of strikeouts.
Along with Upton, the D-backs traded Chris Johnson to the Braves for Martin Prado and others. Prado replaces Johnson at third base, and the D-backs signed Cody Ross to replace Upton in right field.
Essentially, the team decided that combination of Ross and Prado is better than Upton and Johnson.
Upton and Johnson strike out 26 percent of the time. Prado and Ross strike out in 18 percent of their at-bats.
That 8 percent difference will be good for almost 100 fewer strikeouts over the course of the season.
Three years ago the D-backs had the all-time team strikeout record with 1,529. That is more than nine per game. The 2010 team finished in last place.
The 2013 team won’t strike out nearly as much. Whether that matters in the rankings remains to be seen, but it means more balls in play and more opportunities to get on base and score.
Reach the reporter at justin.emerson@asu.edu
