Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick praises work of general manager Kevin Towers

The Diamondbacks haven't had an offseason like the Dodgers, Angels or Blue Jays, but they have acquired a few pieces and made a few trades in the hopes of making their team better for the upcoming season and beyond.

And owner Ken Kendrick seems to be on board with the moves his general manager, Kevin Towers is making.

Via MLB.com:

"We have Brandon McCarthy, who I think is very affordable for the talent he brings," Kendrick said. "We have a shortstop [Didi Gregorius] that we have control over for six years, who has a lot of upside. Of course he's a young player and he's got to improve himself. Eric Hinske is a good-luck charm for every team it seems he plays on. Eric Chavez is a very fine player and gives us a righty-lefty [combination at third]. Heath Bell might be a candidate for a real bounceback. Tony Sipp, a great lefty, fits really well in our bullpen. [With] a mix of all those guys, with not an enormous amount of financial commitment, I think you can say, 'Job well done' to KT."

Towers has managed to add bullpen help, another starting pitcher, a young shortstop that may be the everyday guy by the time the season rolls around and another third baseman.

Of all the moves, I am personally a bit skeptical. Of course Kendrick is going to be happy, as his payroll is only going to rise by a few million dollars, according to MLB writer Steve Gilbert. The D-backs figure to be spending somewhere in the vicinity of $85 million next season.

I just don't see any of these moves as being the kind of splashes that are going to help the Diamondbacks leapfrog the Giants or the Dodgers in the NL West. Heath Bell will need a huge bounce back year, as will Brandon McCarthy. The team already has a glut of closers in the pen and a solid rotation of starting pitchers. Were either of these moves entirely necessary?

Then you have the addition of Didi Gregorious. Could Arizona not manage to get more for their star, yet maligned pitcher, Trevor Bauer? Gregorious seems like a nice defensive prospect, but he doesn't add much in the way of hitting. Hopefully he can learn to develop that part of his game in AAA or learn quickly in the Majors.

Sipp, Chavez and Hinske will be solid depth guys, but nothing to carry on about.

So while Kendrick might be content with the moves Towers has made, color me skeptical. They are nice additions and they could easily help make the team stronger, but the Diamondbacks seem to be banking a lot on potential and bounce back years for their players instead of relying on proven, consistent talent.

But as long as the owner is happy, who cares, right?