DUGOUT: Three steps to improvement for the D-Backs

The 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks were a perfect study in Murphy’s Law: What could have gone wrong did, in fact, go wrong.

Ace Brandon Webb threw just four innings before being forced to undergo season-ending surgery, the outfield was fairly awful, and manager Bob Melvin was fired in May.

This past week, the Diamondbacks utilized Webb’s 2010 option, gambling $8.5 million that the 30-year-old will return to his Cy Young form. That expense, and the upcoming arbitration hearings, leaves Arizona roughly $12 million to spend on the free-agent market.

Where the Diamondbacks will spend that money is anyone’s guess. Here are the first three things I would do to help bring Arizona back to a level of respectability in the National League West.

Step 1: Sign Russell Branyon, 1B, for one year, $3 million.

I apologize to all of the Brandon Allen fans out there who were impressed by the 23-year-old’s 34-game debut this summer, but it’s clear that the young first baseman is simply not ready to take over full time.

Another half-year in the minor leagues will do no harm to Allen, and another September call-up should be in order in 2010. Until then, though, a stopgap is needed to man the first base bag in Chase Field.

Branyon, 33, hit 31 home runs last year for the Seattle Mariners while getting on base at a steady .347 clip. On top of the reliable bat Branyon provides, his defense is well above-average. Last year, Branyon earned $1.4 million, and his value could go up should there be a bidding war.

Branyon has expressed his desire to re-sign with Seattle, and it has been reported that the Mariners have already offered him a contract, but throwing $3 million at the veteran first-baseman would at least make him think twice about his 2010 season.

Having Branyon in the infield in 2010 would allow Conor Jackson a chance to move back to left-field, where his defense is not as poor.

Step 2: Sign Jarrod Washburn, LH-SP, for two years, $12 million.

Webb will continue his rehab well into the 2010 season, but when he is healthy, the Diamondbacks could have the best top-three pitchers in the league. Webb, Dan Haren, and Max Scherzer are all excellent starting pitchers, but all are right-handed. Arizona desperately needs a quality left-handed starting pitcher.

Washburn, 35, when supplied with adequate outfield defense, can be an effective middle-of-the-rotation pitcher.

Randy Wolf would be another solid option, but the Diamondbacks would be forced to surrender their second-round pick to the Los Angeles Dodgers as compensation for signing the Type-A free agent.

Wolf also has an injury history, despite putting up great numbers last season. He could command a $10 million contract next year — something not within Arizona’s budget.

Washburn went 9-9 in 2009 with a 3.78 ERA for both the Mariners and Detroit Tigers. He struck out just over five batters per nine innings, while walking just under three per nine. He’s certainly a risk, but Washburn may excel in the National League.

Step 3: Sign Mike Gonzalez, LH-RP, for three years, $15 million.

Arizona’s bullpen is very inexperienced. Outside of Chad Qualls, the entire relief staff is still in the indentured servitude portion of the contract they signed when drafted. A veteran is needed to steady one of the worst bullpens in the National League.

Gonzalez, 31, just finished a very successful season with the Atlanta Braves, posting a 2.42 ERA while striking out just under 11 batters per nine innings. Having guaranteed money in your contract is enticing to any baseball player, and offering Gonzalez a deal similar to the one I suggested above would surely put Arizona near the top of his suitors list.

The 31-year-old veteran left-hander earned just under $3.5 million last season, and his chance at becoming an elite closer in Atlanta took a shot when he needed Tommy John surgery in 2006.

The Braves gave Rafael Soriano a chance to close out games, and he his dominant performance has not allowed Gonzalez a chance at the role. Gonzalez would love to be the closer on any team, and if he won a Spring Training battle with Qualls, he would be awarded the ninth inning with the Diamondbacks.

With those three moves made, Arizona would solve three separate problems while remaining under their budget. Signing Branyon will pave the way for Allen to take over at first base. Branyon is quite capable of blasting 30 home runs per season, and will provide above-average defense at first-base.

Signing Washburn will solidify the starting rotation with a usually reliable left-handed arm. Washburn is one of the most extreme fly-ball pitchers in the league, however, and Arizona’s outfield defense will need to be better than it was in ’09 for him to succeed. That being said, pitchers going from the American League to the National League tend to improve solely because of the inferior opposing lineups and the fact that pitchers are forced to hit.

Bringing on Gonzalez will drastically improve a bullpen in dire need of improvement. The Diamondbacks’ bullpen allowed 38 percent of inherited runners to score, the worst mark in the National League, and the second-worst in all baseball. Gonzalez allows just 22 percent of the runners he inherits to cross the plate, and could help the team out of some jams.

There’s not really a chance Arizona will be able to compete in the National League West next season. Making the right moves and wisely spending their money, though, could bring them awfully close to the .500 mark and pave the way for future success.

Andrew Kneeland is a junior at the Arizona Virtual Academy. He is an intern at the Green Valley News.