It's hard to remember now, but Brandon Webb was an even better pitcher than the phenomenal Dan Haren. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 2006 and was the ace of the Arizona pitching staff. Though he couldn't have saved the Diamondbacks from this season's weak hitting, Webb would've made them much better.

If reports are true, could be that Webby will never again don D-Backs Sedona red. There's nothing fair about this (especially to fans). Webb was sidelined with what was at first described as "shoulder stiffness" after his first start of the 2009 season. Nobody among D-Backs brass was officially worried. But the prognosis for his return kept getting worse and worse. Then he had season-ending surgery.

Our guess is that Webb will be back and as strong as ever. Someday. But, as bad luck for Snakes fans would have it, his contract's getting in the way. Webb's will expire at season's end. Arizona holds an option for next season for $8.5 million, but team officials could buy Webb out for $2 million.

The question is, will a team that's getting more and more cost-conscious because of the floundering economy keep a gimpy pitching star around? But would the team want to see the 30-year-old go on to have his best years somewhere else? We hope D-Backs brass bets on him, because somebody else will.