Published: November 07, 2009 09:40 pm      

MARK MAYNARD: Arizona made prudent decision

There were a lot of reasons why the Arizona Diamondbacks exercised their option on pitcher Brandon Webb.

For one, Webb’s minor shoulder surgery doesn’t appear to be debilitating and chances are good he’ll return to form.

And if he returns to form, then the D-Back brass looks like geniuses.

If they had passed on the option and Webb went somewhere else and succeeded at his previous levels, the Arizona fan base would have broken sound barriers with complaints.

The numbers don’t lie either. A healthy Brandon Webb is one of the top pitchers in baseball. He won the 2006 Cy Young and was second in 2007 and 2008. They’re banking on a healthy Webb.

But even beyond the numbers, Webb has also been a model citizen for the organization. He respects his teammates and the opposition. He avoids even the smallest hint of controversy in every situation, preferring to stay out of the headlines. Webb is the face of the organization and one of its most popular players. And by all accounts, Webb wants to be in Arizona.

That kind of loyalty is rare these days and should be rewarded. And, really, Webb has been underpaid the past few years, at least by Cy Young Award winner standards. The $8.5 million for 2010 is more in line with what a pitcher of his quality should be making (although it’s still a steal for the D-Backs if Webb pitches like he has the past five seasons; Jake Peavy and CC Sabathia are more in the neighborhood of $17 to $18 million a year).

Both the D-Backs and Webb are in a wait-and-see mode about the future. If Webb pitches back to form, if the sinker still makes it seem like batters are hitting bags of sand, then let the dealing begin. He may not reach the bank-breaking totals of Peavy and Sabathia but it will be more than the $8.5 million deal for 2010.

A lot will depend on Webb’s comeback and if the Diamondbacks are in the race by next season’s All-Star break. The fact is, one won’t happen without the other.

If they’re not in the hunt, the 30-year-old Webb might be the shiny object they dangle to the highest bidder. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him pitching for a playoff contender if the Diamondbacks aren’t one themselves next season. Webb’s presence on the mound should give Arizona a needed shot of confidence as it heads into 2010.

If he had his druthers, Webb would rather pitch in Arizona for the rest of his career if the price is right.

“Obviously it’s going to depend on how the season goes for me and as well as for the team,” he said at Friday’s press conference. “Hopefully it goes well for both of us and we can maybe start some talks, if everything goes well, toward the end of the year next year.”

Arizona is crossing its fingers and hoping that everything it has been told about Webb’s shoulder is true, and there’s no reason to think it isn’t. Webb will do some soft tossing the middle of this week and for the next few days. Then he’ll shut it down for the year and prepare as he normally would for spring training.

So it won’t be until next March that the Diamondbacks will know for sure if their risk was worth the reward.

The guess here is that Arizona is going to be happy it rolled the dice.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.