With apologies to Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez is the face of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is also the best position player in the team’s history.

So when Luis Gonzalez says he wants to come back to the Diamondbacks, as he did earlier this week, people take notice. The question is…should they?

The answer is yes. Gonzalez is no spring chicken, but he can still hit the ball. He’d likely be asked to be a fourth outfielder, a spot first baseman, and a late-inning pinch-hitter. Honestly, he couldn’t hurt.

The D-Backs’ bench wasn’t exactly what you would call clutch in 2008, either when they were called on to pinch-hit, or when they were placed in the starting lineup. Diamondbacks’ pinch-hitters combined to hit .211 with 4 home runs in 317 at bats. Gonzo could certainly help in that area. In Florida in 2008 though, Gonzalez shined as a starter. In 82 starts (296 at bats), Gonzalez hit .277 with 7 home runs and 42 rbis. He also clubbed 26 doubles, and maybe most importantly, only struck out 31 times.

If the Diamondbacks are serious about shopping Eric Byrnes, as has been rumored this offseason, the deal makes even more sense. That would open up a spot for Gonzo to become the 4th outfielder, and get spot starts when Conor Jackson starts at first base. It would also mark the return for the most popular player in the history of this franchise.

The Byrnes aspect is pretty interesting. Here’s a snapshot of what both players have done in the last two seasons…

The rub is, there’s questions about Byrnes’ marketability coming off a nightmarish 2008, so this might be purely hypothetical.

Normally, I’d be against a young team acquiring a 41-year old player. But the fact is–Gonzalez can still play. This would not be a case of a team bringing back a popular player just to score points with the fan base. Yes, this move would accomplish that, but I believe Gonzalez could give the Diamondbacks so much more than shaking hands and kissing babies.

October 21st, 2008 6:41 PM

Subscribe to your favorite Phoenix team or sport or Follow us on Twitter.