New D-backs manager Chip Hale answers fan questions on Facebook

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): Hey everyone, glad to be here answering your questions for the next 30 minutes or so. -Chip

Lisa Tower: Pitching has been a huge issue this past season. What plan of attack can help us with that?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): Health is the number one thing. When we get all of the pitchers healthy, we'll see a different staff. Spring Training will give us a good idea. A lot of guys came up from lower levels and battled this year and got a taste of it. We'll have a lot of options. As of now, we're still trying to evaluate who our best options are.

Mikey Daniels: How many wins are expected of the team next year? How involved will you be with the acquisitions in winter?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): With the acquisitions, Dave and Tony and the front office are doing all that. They'll definitely ask my opinions and the coaching staff also, but the final decision will be theirs. As for wins, we're expecting enough wins to be in the playoffs. Every night we play, we'll expect to win.

John Lucas: Is there anyone we should be keeping an eye on during fall/winterball?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): All those kids that are in the Fall League. I went over Tuesday to see them play. I think we have a lot of talent. Drury at first base. Burgos an up-and-coming reliever, and of course Archie Bradley. Most of those guys will eventually get a chance to play in the big leagues. Peter O'Brien is able to play multiple positions and has big power.

Jose Roman: Will we be a threat to the other mlb teams for next year?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): We better be a threat. We expect to be a winning team, whatever it takes, whether it's small ball, hitting home runs, pitching, executing late in games. We expect to be a threat. That's why we're here.

Ernest Armenta: #Dbacks you are one of several UofA players to coach in The majors- has Francona offered his lucky socks?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): No he hasn't. I'm sure he still needs them.

Elizabeth Guzman: Are you planing on playing small ball ? We lost lots of games depending on the long ball!!!! Last season

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): I want us to be situationally-sound. I think small ball is important. We're not going to just sit back and wait for home runs. We're going to move runners with bunting and hitting-and-running. But we also have a couple of guys on this team right now with premiere power in Trumbo and Goldschmidt, so we have a good mix of both.

Jenni Johnson: What unique outlook or strategy do you bring to the table which you feel will drive the Diamondbacks to succeed?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): I think it's just bringing a lot of different ways of doing things and using them to try to get a little more out of each guy in the group. Technique wise, when players trust you and when they band together as a group, it makes it a lot easier. The perfect example is watching the playoffs right now with the way the Giants and Royals are playing. And of course it's going to be nice to be able to talk to a Hall of Fame manager in Tony La Russa and bounce ideas off of him.

Michael Cohen: Pat Murphy planned to make Jake Barrett a starter at Asu his freshman year, is that something you could consider or is he the closer of the future?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): I saw him a little bit during the spring. From what I've seen and heard, he's got a great arm. Sometimes if you change a reliever to a starter, guys end up hurting their arms, so I think it's best to leave guys in areas where they've had success. But it's still to be determined.

Austin Louis Miller: What are your top 3 goals to improve the team next season compared to the previous few years?

Arizona Diamondbacks (Chip Hale): Improve the culture, be situationally-sound and stay healthy.