The sign came when Luis Gonzalez, the most popular player in Arizona Diamondbacks history, left as a free agent to join division rival Los Angeles.

It was a sign of rebuilding, which is something Arizona has never truly done. In only the team’s second season they won 100 games and the NL West, and two years later they won the World Series.

Managed well, the D-Backs never seemed to be a struggling expansion franchise, unlike their contemporary, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In a short period of time, Arizona was able to assemble a championship club with big-time players like Gonzalez, Matt Williams, Curt Schilling, Jay Bell and Randy Johnson.

All of those players have since left the D-Backs and, though Johnson has returned, this team belongs to Brandon Webb, Conor Jackson and Chad Tracy now.

Wait, who?

General Manager Josh Byrnes, now in his second year, has done a great job with a limited budget. This team needed to rebuild as it watched its 2001 World Series winning club age into retirement or move on. Byrnes and the rest of Arizona management are doing everything to create a new image for this team; they even changed the colors from purple and green to black and red. The Diamondbacks are committed to rebuilding and appear to be doing a pretty good job at it.

Bob Melvin picks up the reigns as manager for a third year after winning 76 games last year, looking to improve upon the club’s fourth-place finish.

The rotation got a boost in the offseason with the acquisition of the aforementioned Johnson via trade after two ill-fated seasons in the Bronx. Johnson won four Cy Young Awards during his first stint with Arizona and experienced his greatest success with the D-Backs. The Big Unit seems to be most comfortable in a Diamondbacks uniform but he returns not as an ace, but as a number two starter, as Webb has emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball. He won his first Cy Young in 2006, and shouldn’t miss a beat after going 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA a season ago. Livan Hernandez, one of the best inning-eaters in the game and a pitcher with quality postseason experience, is a lock for the number three spot. Hernandez pitched well for Arizona after a midseason trade from Washington. Doug Davis is another inning-eating workhorse in the fourth spot. One through four in this rotation will certainly keep the team in games, but the fifth spot is up for grabs among five or six in-house candidates.

Flamethrower Jose Valverde is the closer - for now – but saved only 18 games in an inconsistent 2006. If that trend continues, he may find himself demoted from closer and perhaps all the way back to Triple-A. Jorge Julio and youngster Tony Pena have shown that they have back-of-the-pen type stuff and could work the ninth if Valverde struggles. Doug Slaten didn’t give up a run in nine appearances last year as a left-handed specialist and will return to the same duty. The two Brandons, Lyon and Medders, find themselves in set-up roles.