GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Paul Goldschmidt was at the Coyotes game Saturday to drop the puck, not the gauntlet. And while he did not want to play general manager, he believes the addition of Mark Trumbo will make the Diamondbacks a better team. Any time you can add some offensive power, you are going to be excited about it," Goldschmidt said before dropping the ceremonial first puck at the Coyotes game against the Hurricanes at Jobing.com Arena. "As a player, you don't get paid to make the decisions. Getting a player like Trumbo, who has proven himself and obviously has a lot of skills, I think it will be great for the team. I think we have an opportunity as an offense to be very successful." Goldschmidt and Trumbo are expected to hit third and fourth in the D-backs' lineup after combing for 66 doubles, 70 home runs and 225 RBIs in 2013, Trumbo' s third and final season with the Angels. Goldschmidt tied for the NL lead with 36 homers and led the league with 125 RBIs. They were two of seven major leaguers with at least 30 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBIs last season. "Hopefully we can do it again," Goldschmidt said. Goldschmidt said he has crossed paths with Trumbo during his career, and after talking to mutual friends, he has heard nothing but good things. "You pay attention. We see them in spring training," Goldschmidt said. "It's not like I'm watching every at-at, but it's a small world. You know guys who have played with him or against him, and people get a reputation. He has a very high reputation. Very good player, good person on and off the field. I'm excited to get to know him and talk hitting and talk baseball." The Diamondbacks lost Tyler Skaggs to the Angels and Mark Eaton to the White Sox in the three-team trade, also receiving a minor leaguer from each organization. "First off, it is always tough to lose friends and teammates in Skaggs and Eaton," Goldschmidt said. "In turn, we get another talented guy who has proven himself. So you are excited about that." The D-backs tied for 11th in the NL in home runs last season, and adding a power bat was a top priority at the winter meetings, where Arizona also was linked in reports to outfielders Domonic Brown and Shin-Soo Choo. While the addition of Trumbo should provide more power, the Diamondbacks could feature a potent offense that will include Aaron Hill, Martin Prado, Miguel Montero and Gerado Parra in some combination around the middle-of-the-order power bats.
At the same time, Goldschmidt stressed that the team's success next season will not be predicated on just a few players. "We have a lot of talented guys, guys who have the ability to hit for power and hit for average and steal some bases," Goldschmidt said. "We have a lot of guys who are very good all-around players. So when we have that, and guys play up to their capabilities, we should have a very talented team this year offensively, pitching, defense. It gives ourselves a shot to make the playoffs and win the World Series. "I honestly believe that it is going to take every guy on our roster, and guys who aren't on our roster and won't be on our roster on opening day, because it's a long season. We all are going to have our ups and downs, and that's when you need all eight or nine games in the lineup plus guys coming off the bench for big hits and bullpen guys getting outs and defensive replacements making plays and starting pitchers doing it. The way this roster is constructed, we are going to need everybody to contribute. I think that's what it's going to take." The roster is likely not finalized yet. D-backs general manager Kevin Towers entered the winter meetings with an eye on adding a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, and that plan has not changed. But as for Goldschmidt's input, "I just go play. If you are in the lineup, whatever your role is, you do that. You let the front office handle the rest of it." Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter
