4/2/2011: Arlington, VA – Minus a guest post by GM Daniel DiVincenzo, our commentary here at the Baseball Bureaucracy has not involved the Arlington Bureaucrat‘s front office.  This season will be different, and we’re going to try to get some more input from the people who actually make the decisions.  To start off the new season, I’ve conducted an “interview” with GM DiVincenzo.  Actually, it wasn’t a true interview because I wasn’t actually able to talk to Mr. DiVincenzo in person.  Instead, I e-mailed him a series of questions and he was kind enough to take time out of his busy spring schedule to reply.  Without further ado:

John Castillo:
I won’t ask too much about it, but the 2010 season was a rough one for the boys in black and gold.  What are you general feelings about the season and what steps has the organization taken to improve in 2011?

Dan DiVincenzo:
Indeed, 2010 wasn’t a good year for us.  Part of it is on me: there was a bit of a learning curve for me, and it was my first full season.  I feel that I’ve mastered that curve and I’m ready to help this team move forward in 2011.  We also had some expectations that weren’t met, and some experiments that went sour.  The biggest disappointment for me was the offense.  We did bring in some help during the second half, though; I will do everything I can to keep this team competitive, no matter the circumstances!  I owe the loyal fans that.  (It also happens to be my job, but we do it for you guys.  Without you, there is no PEBA.)

JC:
Last question about 2010, I promise: Víctor Matos.  Are you happy with how that trade turned out?  Why not keep your ace until his contract expires in 2012?

DD:
It’s never easy to trade away someone as popular and talented as Matos.  However, it was no secret that we are aiming to be a playoff team a couple of years down the road and I believe it was the best thing to do for Víctor; you hate to see guys like that waste years of their career away while their team undergoes a rebuild.  Also, his large contract was taking up a big chunk of our budget, so I was able to restock the farm system a little bit and use some of the money saved to plug some holes with some veteran guys in 2010.  I think it made us a better team overall.  It also never hurts to have some payroll flexibility over the next couple of seasons.

JC:
With 2010 behind us, tell us about some of the offseason transactions you’ve made.  The trade with Bakersfield was interesting in that we got a talented player in Joey Lane but also a washed-up pitcher with an unbearable contract.  Did that move really make the team better?

DD:
Yes, I think it did.  My goal this offseason was to acquire a young outfielder with good defensive skills who wouldn’t kill us at the plate.  Lane is under team control for a few more years and we believe that he still hasn’t reached his full potential.  Because we’re giving some young guys a chance to crack the starting lineup this season, we had a little extra room in the budget that wasn’t going to be used.  By adding Johnstone to the deal, we avoided having to give up too many prospects; it’s hard to restock the farm system if you trade away young players who are performing well (they have the most trade value!).  Ken was also a great pitcher not too long ago, so maybe the change of scenery and our coaching staff can help him right the ship a bit.  At the very least, he’s a veteran presence and will be able to eat up some innings while we groom some youngsters in the minors.

JC:
Are you looking to add anyone else to the roster as Sprint Training comes to an end, or will the roster come entirely from the spring squad?

DD:
We’re pretty happy with the guys we have playing for us right now, but I’m always looking for ways to improve the team.  It’s always good to have a “Plan B” if one of the young guys doesn’t work out or if someone gets hurt.  We’ve already had Eldon Cahill go down for several months; you can never have too much depth.

JC:
What will Ronnie Johnstone‘s role be in 2011?  It’s the last year of his contract but it looks like he’s having trouble keeping base runners from advancing.  Not to mention Larry Brown waiting in the wings for a shot.

DD:
Ronnie is the man and will have a big role on this club.  Just because he’s slowing down a little bit doesn’t mean he has forgotten how to play the game.  He’ll be a great source of information for Larry and a great veteran presence in the club house.  He can still find the outfield gaps too, so he will definitely get his share of the action.

JC:
What is the secret for success in 2011 for the ‘Crats?  Don’t give anything away to your competition, though!

DD:
Well, I can tell you that our offense will determine how successful we are this year.  We’ve been working on bringing in some fresh faces and adding more depth.  In past seasons, injuries led to horribly unproductive lineups; we just didn’t have anyone in reserve who could take over effectively.  We’ve been working on this and I think that we have some good players to support our starters.  Our pitching staff will keep us in the ballgames and our offense will have to put enough runs across for us to come out on top.

JC:
Thank you for your time, Mr. DiVincenzo, and good luck to the Bureaucrats this season!

DD:
Thank you for your loyalty to the team!  We’ll have some fun and exciting baseball in Arlington for you guys in 2011.