Miami Marlins Series Preview: Snakes on a plane to Miami

May 17, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Yasmany Tomas (24) hits a single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Marlin Maniac: Before the season, GM Dave Stewart called the Dbacks a real baseball team. What was that supposed to mean?

Guillermo Salcido: I remember that quote very well. In short, Stewart was commenting that Arizona had management heads such as Tony La Russa. He saw these guys as more “old school” type as opposed to the younger generation that is relying more and more on analytics. The best I can say is that the Dbacks were more constructed at a traditional level, while other ball clubs are being assembled based on analytics.

MM: How has the Yasmany Tomas signing worked out so far for the Diamondbacks? How do you project him going forward?

GS: Tomas has provided a couple of surprises so far this season. One is how quickly he’s adjusted as a contact hitter. He’s hitting over .300 this season, but his power numbers have stalled. That’s what impressed many ball clubs during the World Baseball Classic. Incredibly, he just had his first homer last series against Philadelphia.

MM: After the Marlins released Jarrod Saltalamacchia, he quickly latched on with the Dbacks. How soon will he be up in the majors and what kind of impact will his signing have?

GS: Salty was a low risk, high reward bet. Tuffy Gosewisch and Jordan Pacheco have had small spurts of offense, but no where near acceptable consistency. In my opinion, Salty may need a couple weeks to work out his issues in AAA Reno before he gets a call up. An interesting storyline is that he may play alongside Arizona’s top offensive prospect, Peter O’Brien. Although he’s spent most of the season playing outfield, O’Brien’s quickest route to the majors is through catching.

MM: Next month, the Diamondbacks will be the number one overall pick in the MLB Amateur Draft. Any news on which way they are leaning?

GS: There’s no Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, or Gerrit Cole in the draft so it may not be a slam dunk for Arizona. There have been a couple names being thrown around but one that isn’t likely to be drafted #1 is Brendan Rodgers. They may be looking for another arm so Dillon Tate from UCSB or Carson Fulmer from Vanderbilt are the best bets.

MM: Water is wet, Paul Goldschmidt is great. How much of a treat is it to watch him everyday?

GS: It’s been an absolute joy to see Goldy on that field on the daily basis. I can only compare it to the awe that Giancarlo Stanton gives Miami Marlins fans. We here in the desert still consider Goldy to be the MLB’s best kept secret, but we’re sure many will follow soon enough.

Next: Pitching Matchups and Predictions

May 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher

(12) pitches the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

MM: Can you give us a quick scouting report on the pitchers the Marlins will face this series?

GS: Rubby De La Rosa will be opening the series and he’s the undisputed hottest Dbacks pitcher at the moment. He’s gone seven innings in each of his last two starts, both victories. Teams like Los Angeles and Boston had De La Rosa around their organization due to his high ceiling and it really look like he’s going through one of the best stretches in his young career.

Jeremy Hellickson has struggled mightily this season. He hasn’t reached six innings in a month but has still managed four to five runs. The potential is still there, but if there’s going to be a high-scoring affair, my bet is with Hellickson on the mound. With Patrick Corbin‘s return approaching, Hellickson’s seat in the rotation may get hotter.

Chase Anderson is having a vastly underrated season and he’s still winless, with lack of run support the culprit. Anderson is the most likely to deliver a quality start for the Dbacks. He’s done so four times this season. Unfortunately for him, he’s also the most likely to receive little to no run support.

Archie Bradley had a great start to 2015, showing incredible promise. Then he got smacked in the face by a Carlos Gonzalez liner. A trip to the DL followed and his returning game saw him depart after only two innings. It looks like the time off could’ve created some rust so it’s possible we might not see a 100% Bradley during this series.

MM: How do you see the series playing out? Any bold predictions?

GS: Arizona is incredibly due for some wins and are capable of rising to the occasion. I see this series ending up in a split. I predict that it will be Mark Trumbo, and not Goldschmidt, that’ll try to match the Giancarlo Stanton show. People will see a lot from the 23-year-old Chris Owings; he’s on an absolute tear.

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That just about does it for our Dbacks series primer. A big thanks to Guillermo Salcido for taking the time to answer our questions, and make sure to check out Venom Strikes for all your Arizona Diamondbacks coverage. You can follow Guillermo and Venom Strikes on Twitter as well.

Follow Marlin Maniac on Twitter @MarlinManiac for all your Miami Marlins news, opinion and analysis!

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