On December 7, Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers said he wanted to improve his club this offseason.

Two days later, he did just that.

A few hours after the 2011 winter meetings concluded, Arizona acquired pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow from the Oakland Athletics for Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill, and Ryan Cook.

Though many people like Parker’s potential, the deal should help keep the D-backs atop the NL West in 2012 and perhaps years to come.

The trade addresses two of the Snakes’ needs: rotation depth and bullpen balance.

Cahill, who will likely be the No. 3 starter behind 21-game winner Ian Kennedy and 16-game winner Daniel Hudson, already has three successful big league seasons under his belt.

When he was an all-star in 2010, he collected an 18-8 record with a 2.97 ERA. Last year, he started the season 6-0 with a 1.72 ERA and finished with more than 200 innings pitched.

Now that Cahill will be pitching in the National League—and make less outings against the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees—he should have an even easier time muffling opponents’ bats.

As for Breslow, the D-backs needed a lefty in the bullpen, and he gives them a reliable one. In six big league seasons, the Ivy Leaguer has collected a 3.06 ERA and held left-handed batters to a .227 batting average.

After finishing 2011 just two runs shy of a National League Championship Series berth, the time is definitely right for Arizona to make some moves.

It’s good to see Towers recognize that, and it’s good to read that he’ll continue to be aggressive.

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Arizona Diamondbacks’ outfielder Justin Upton and right-handed pitcher Daniel Hudson have been named the Louisville Slugger 2011 Silver Slugger Award recipients for the National League at outfielder and pitcher, respectively, as announced by Louisville Slugger.

The award recognizes the players who were the best offensive producers at each position in both leagues as voted by Major League Baseball managers and coaches with selections based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value.

Upton, 24, and Hudson, 24, are the third and fourth players in D-Backs history to earn a Silver Slugger Award, joining outfielder Luis Gonzalez in 2001 and right-handed pitcher Micah Owings in 2007.

Upton hit .289 (171-for-592) with 105 runs scored, 39 doubles, 5 triples, 31 home runs, 88 RBI and 313 total bases in 159 games along with 21 stolen bases, a .369 on-base percentage, .529 slugging percentage and .898 OPS.

Hudson hit .277 (18-for-65) with 5 runs scored, 3 doubles, a home run, 14 RBI in 33 starts along with a .309 on-base percentage, a .369 slugging percentage and a .678 OPS.

The Angels have received permission from the Arizona Diamondbacks to interview Jerry Dipoto for the Angels’ vacant GM position.

Dipoto, 43, is the Diamondbacks’ senior vice president for scouting and player development after serving as the team’s interim GM for part of the 2010 season. He joins two Yankees’ execs on the Angels’ emerging list of GM candidates.

The Angels received permission to interview Yankees vice president of amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer and director of professional scouting Billy Eppler earlier this week though none of the interviews are believed to have taken place yet.

The Orioles have also received permission to interview Dipoto for the opening in their front office and that interview could take place as soon as this weekend.

The Baltimore Sun reported that former Angels GM Tony Reagins is also on the Orioles’ list of candidates, though they have not contacted the Angels for permission to interview Reagins yet. Reagins remains under contract with the Angels despite stepping down as GM two weeks ago.

Dipoto is a former pitcher who spent parts of eight seasons in the major leagues (1993-2000) with the Indians, Mets and Rockies. His front-office career began with the Rockies before he moved to the Red Sox in 2004.

He returned to the Rockies as director of player personnel in 2005 then moved to the Diamondbacks a year later when Josh Byrnes became GM. When Byrnes was fired by the Diamondbacks in 2010, Dipoto acted as interim GM for the remainder of the season.

Among Dipoto’s moves as Diamondbacks GM was the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels for four pitchers (Joe Saunders, Rafael Rodriguez, Tyler Skaggs and Patrick Corbin). He also traded Edwin Jackson to the White Sox for Daniel Hudson who played a key role in the Diamondbacks’ rotation as they won the NL West in 2011.

Dipoto interviewed for the full-time job as the Diamondbacks’ GM (and has also interviewed for GM openings in Seattle and Washington in the past) but lost out to Kevin Towers. Dipoto returned to his previous position in the front office after Towers stepped in as GM.

MILWAUKEE – When it comes to star power, even the Arizona Diamondbacks acknowledge they’re no match for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee has a pair of MVP candidates in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and pulled the surprise of the offseason when they traded for standout starter Zack Greinke.

The Diamondbacks’ biggest star is Justin Upton – and even he feels as if he and his teammates get lost in the shuffle.

“We’re just a bunch of guys nobody ever heard about,” Upton said. “In Arizona, still, nobody’s heard about us.”

The Diamondbacks might not have the Brewers’ marquee names. But the numbers, and the results, show two teams that are surprisingly similar going into today’s Game 1 of the NL division series.

And if fans don’t know the Diamondbacks’ players, Braun says they will soon enough.

“It’s not like they don’t have talent,” Braun said. “Justin Upton was an MVP candidate all year. You look at the top of their rotation, Ian Kennedy is going to be in the Cy Young discussion. So it’s no doubt they have plenty of talent, and I think they’re playing great baseball. It’s not easy.”

Arizona and Milwaukee both can trace much of their success to improved starting pitching. Both have deep bullpens that don’t blow leads. And while the Brewers are known for their two big home run hitters, the Diamondbacks can hit for power, too.

Both are strong at the top of the rotation. Yovani Gallardo starts Game 1 for Milwaukee, coming off a dominant three-game stretch when he went 2-0 and had 36 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings. Greinke will pitch on three days’ rest for Game 2 on Sunday.

Arizona counters with 21-game winner Kennedy in the opener. And while manager Kirk Gibson hasn’t set his rotation yet, Daniel Hudson is a strong No. 2 starter.

The late innings should be a case of strength versus strength.

Brewers closer John Axford has converted his last 43 save opportunities.

Arizona also has a solid, deep bullpen. And its offense doesn’t quit; the Diamondbacks rallied from behind to win 48 times this season.

And the Diamondbacks aren’t exactly lacking power. Milwaukee led the NL with 185 home runs this season, but Arizona was fourth with 172.

And Arizona scored more runs, 731 to 721.

Republic writer Bob McManaman sat down with Diamondbacks center fielder Chris Young, one of the most tenured players on the team, for a friendly word-association game. The challenge: Seek thoughtful one-word descriptions on some teammates and coaches who shaped the 2011 season.

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How the 2011 D-Backs were built | Sizing up the Brewers | D-Backs’ postseason

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Question: All right, let’s start down at the corner over there. Ryan Roberts?

Answer: Passionate.

Q: The man right next to your locker, Justin Upton?

A: Confident.

Q: J.J. Putz?

A: Leader.

Q: Ian Kennedy?

A: Relaxed.

Q: Daniel Hudson?

A: Gamer.

Q: David Hernandez?

A: Gentle Giant.

Q: Miguel Montero?

A: Energetic.

Q: Henry Blanco?

A: He’s a leader, too.

Q: Kirk Gibson?

A: Commander in chief. . . . Or, intense.

Q: Alan Trammell?

A: Motivator.

Q: Don Baylor?

A: Big Bear.

Q: Eric Young?

A: He’s energetic, too.

Q: Stephen Drew?

A: Country.

Q: Gerardo Parra?

A: Underrated.

Q: Sean Burroughs?

A: Out there.

Q: Josh Collmenter?

A: Caveman. . . . No, wait. Witty.

Q: Aaron Hill?

A: Loose and free.

Q: How about you? Chris Young?

A: Me? Positive.

The Diamondbacks missed a chance to move a step closer to home-field advantage in the division series, but that seemed secondary to the condition of star right fielder Justin Upton, who was held out of the starting lineup a day after getting hit on the head by a fastball from San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum.

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Diamondbacks-Dodgers series photos | Box score | MLB scoreboard

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The Diamondbacks called the decision not to play him “precautionary” and gave no specific details as to why he was held out other than to say he felt slightly amiss.

Neither Upton nor manager Kirk Gibson sounded overly concerned about the situation, even with only two games left in the regular season and the playoffs set to begin Saturday.

“I just talked to him during (batting practice) and stuff, and it didn’t seem like he was totally right,” Gibson said after the Diamondbacks and Daniel Hudson lost 4-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field.

“We’re going to be cautious with that at this point in the season. I expect that probably it was the right thing to do and that (Tuesday) he’ll be fine.”

Upton was hit on the bill of his helmet by a 93 mph fastball from Lincecum in the first inning Sunday.

He remained in the game, scoring from first base on a double by Miguel Montero.

But he experienced nausea when he got back to the dugout and did not take the field in the top of the second.

Team physician Dr. Michael Lee said Sunday that Upton passed neurological tests “with flying colors” and that a CT scan looked normal, all of which suggested he did not suffer a concussion.

However, he still needed to pass the ImPACT Test before being cleared to return to action. The ImPACT Test is a computer program that gauges memory and reaction speed compared with test results from before the season.

Upton arrived at the park and worked out before taking the test, the results of which apparently were not known when Gibson spoke to reporters before the game.

At that point, Gibson said, “He’ll play if he passes that ImPACT Test.”

About an hour and 40 minutes before Monday night’s game, the Diamondbacks announced their lineup, and Upton was not in it.

“I can’t disclose what goes on with that – that’s a medical issue,” Gibson said when asked about the test results after the game.

Said Upton: “I wasn’t feeling 100 percent. Gibby, at this point, wants me to be 100 percent before I step on the field.

“There’s no questions asked. He spoke with the training staff, and they said, just as a precaution, take another day.”

Upton, who is hitting .291 with 31 home runs and 88 RBIs this season, said he’s planning to play Tuesday night, adding that he still doesn’t consider it a serious issue.

Neither does Gibson, even with his team’s most important player possibly not at his sharpest heading into the postseason.

“No, I’m not worried about it,” Gibson said.

“He played a lot. Part of it is, this gives him a little blow. We pushed him pretty hard. This is the first September he’s played into in a while.

“I guess I look at it the other way, as well, where this will allow him to relax a little bit, physically regroup and get mentally right.”

View from the press box

Yeah, Matt Kemp isn’t on a first-place team, but why punish him for not having the best players surrounding him? From this vantage point, Kemp has been the National League’s best player this year. Here’s hoping he’s rewarded with the MVP award.

Rewind

Still chasing: The Diamondbacks remain one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who dropped the opening game of their season-ending series with the Pirates.

If the Diamondbacks and Brewers finish with the same record, the Diamondbacks would get the tiebreaker for home-field advantage in the division series based on having won four of seven games head to head against Milwaukee.

If the season ended today, the Diamondbacks would open the playoffs on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies.

One ‘dumb’ pitch: Right-hander Daniel Hudson gave up a three-run home run to Dodgers star Matt Kemp and little else Monday night, but that was enough to cost the Diamondbacks the game.

“Dumb pitch,” he said of a full-count change-up that was up in the strike zone. “I’ve faced him a few times and I’ve thrown him a couple of 3-2 change-ups, so he was probably just waiting for it. I kind of knew that in the back of my head. But I didn’t throw it in a good spot, left it out over the plate. And he did what he does with those pitches all the time.”

Time to regroup: Hudson said he’ll have to put the disappointing outing behind him, knowing that his next start will come in the division series.

“You’ve just got to tell yourself you’ve got a more important start coming up in the playoffs,” Hudson said. “Obviously, we wanted to win that game and try to catch Milwaukee.”