NL West 2019 Season Preview

[torontogm]

1) Los Angeles Dodgers

2017: 96-66, 1st NL West

Who they were: The Dodgers were aided, per the usual, by superstars and a large budget, but were not afraid to make big moves. Corey Seager was traded to Texas mid season in a huge blockbuster trade. Nomar Mazara and Michael De Leon filled the void admirably for the team. Cody Bellinger was the big bat for the team, and Clayton Kershaw was the ace of the staff. The Dodgers lost to the Cubs in the NLCS.

Offseason Review: Overall, the Dodgers had a quiet offseason, but their big acquisition was trading for Jurickson Profar from Seattle in exchange for outfield prospects Diaz and Scavuzzo. Also, they signed Gio Gonzalez for a short yet expensive contract to solidify their rotation.

On the Farm: With the 17th best farm, according to OSA, the Dodgers have a middle-of-the-road system. Willie Calhoun still does not really have a defensive position, but his bat looks ready for the majors. Though a little farther away, Yadier Alvarez may make an impact in the rotation in the years to come.

Best case scenario: Profar upgrades a weakness for the Dodgers, and they improve upon their 2018 record and make a deep run into the playoffs.

Worst case scenario: Injuries derail the club and they make a quick playoff exit. The Dodgers have the budget and talent to make the playoffs, no excuses. But they should expect more.

Key questions: 1) Walk us through the decision to sign Gio Gonzalez for $46M over one year. What made you decide to offer so much money, and for such a short period of time?

2) The Seager-Mazara trade was a huge blockbuster trade that shook up playoff races last year. Can we expect other big trades from you in the future?


2) San Francisco Giants

2017: 95-67, 2nd NL West

Who they were: San Francisco gave the Dodgers a run for their money despite, on the surface, less talent on their squad. However, they had a very balanced team, placing 3rd in the NL in both runs scored and runs allowed. The Giants’ infield was stellar, led by 23-year-old Christian Arroyo (6.2 WAR). Madison Bumgarner was the ace for the group. The Giants fell to the Dodgers in the NLDS.

Offseason Review: The Giants focused on shedding some payroll while retooling their farm this offseason. They traded RP Will Smith to the White Sox for two prospects, and send ace Madison Bumgarner to Texas. Todd Frazier could be a good value free agent signing.

On the Farm: While some youngsters such as Arroyo have graduated from prospect status, pitcher Braxton Garrett looks like an ace in the making, and the Giants continue to rebuild their farm.

Best case scenario: The youth on this team and added prospects continue to develop and become a force in the division. Without Bumgarner, the Giants may have a difficult time winning the division, but they have a chance.

Worst case scenario: The their conservative long-term moves this offseason, I think the floor is high for this club. Worst case is likely a .500 record, missing out on the playoffs.

Key questions: 1) You traded one of your best players in Madison Bumgarner this offseason. In what direction do you see this team heading?

2) You acquired a lot of prospects this offseason. Which one are you most excited about, and why?


3) Colorado Rockies

2017: 86-77, 3rd NL West

Who they were: The Rockies benefited from some strong stretches early in the season in 2018 and ended up barely making the playoffs. Typical for a Coors Field team, they were near the top of the league (2nd) in runs scored, but were brought down by their pitching (13th in runs allowed). Nolan Arenado (5.7 WAR) was the MVP of the team. The Rockies were stopped by the Giants in the NLWCS.

Offseason Review: The Rockies were active this offseason, making an effort to solidify their pitching staff. J.A. Happ was brought on board, as well as David Robertson. Travis Demeritte will likely replace D.J. LeMahieu in some capacity, and the Rockies hope at least a couple of their five Rule 5 draft picks will stick.

On the Farm: The Rockies have a mid- to lower- range farm system, but have a few arms in particular that could be of interest. Riley Pint and Eric Pardinho could each make a solid impact in the rotation in the future.

Best case scenario: The arms added this offseason make an impact, and the Rockies benefit from some bad luck elsewhere in the division to take the NL West.

Worst case scenario: The Rockies barely made the playoffs in 2018. There are signs that the luck and performances they had, pitching-wise, will not repeat itself, but it’s possible it could be a harbinger of worse things to come. Worst-case scenario would see this team regressing to sub-.500

Key questions: 1) To what do you attribute your lackluster 2nd half last year, and how can you make sure you don’t stumble into the playoffs in 2019?

2) What are your plans if your pitching does not improve as expected this year? Do you have any fallback options to ensure that you stay competitive throughout 2019?


4) San Diego Padres

2017: 68-94, 5th, NL West

Who they were: The Padres struggled in 2018, but showed some signs of life. New acquisition Jake Lamb had a solid campaign for the club, smacking 31 home runs and accruing 3.8 WAR. Overall, however, there was simply not enough impact talent on the team to keep up with some of the heavy hitters in the division.

Offseason Review: The Padres made a bunch of small moves to adjust and continue to get better this offseason. They signed Patrick Corbin and acquired Brad Keller to boost their pitching staff, and were then able to ship Colin Rea off to Milwaukee for a couple of prospects.

On the Farm: The Padres own the 5th best farm in the PBA, according to OSA. Certain players, such as Anderson Espinoza, Leodys Taveras and Francisco Tatis, Jr. are close to the majors and could possibly make an impact in 2019.

Best case scenario: Veterans continue to produce, and youth continues to develop. The Padres could approach .500, and if some things bounce their way, could finish 3rd in their division. Also, a best case scenario would not be complete without a Game of the Week.

Worst case scenario: The team is handicapped by their small budget and competitive division, and they have a hard time pushing past 70 wins.

Key questions: 1) Pitching was not a strong suit for your club in 2018, and yet you moved Colin Rea this offseason. What are your intentions for the rotation, moving forward?

2) You have a very deep farm, including many players who are close to the majors. Who are you most excited about, and when can we expect to see them?


5) Arizona Diamondbacks

2017: 70-92, 4th NL West

Who they were: The Diamondbacks were led by NL HR leader Joey Gallo in 2018, but otherwise had a hard time manufacturing runs (10th in NL). Despite being traded halfway through the season for Christian Yelich, Archie Bradley (2.1 WAR) was their move valuable arm.

Offseason Review: Other than losing a whopping 7 players in the Rule 5 draft, the big acquisition for the Diamondbacks is CF Ronald Acuna from Atlanta. Acuna has yet to be productive at the major league level, and Arizona had to deal from their rotation (Taijuan Walker) to get him.

On the Farm: With the 21st ranked farm, Arizona has one of the lower systems, according to OSA. Ariel Jurado looks ready to step into the rotation, but the big piece in the D-Back’s system is center fielder Quentin Holmes. With Acuna in the fold already, Arizona could have a formidable outfield in the future.

Best case scenario: Gallo continues to produce MVP-like numbers. Acuna develops and joins him as elite. The D-Backs are able to piece together a pitching staff and stay in the playoff hunt well into the 2nd half of the season.

Worst case scenario: Acuna doesn’t pan out, Gallo proves to be inconsistent, and Arizona is left at the bottom of the NL West, only with less prospects than a year ago.

Key questions: 1) Talk us through your acquisition of Acuna this offseason. What do you see in him and what will he add to your club?

2) Moving Taijuan Walker seems like a bit of a risk for a team that has struggled to prevent runs. How do you intend to replace him?

[rutledge]

1) You traded one of your best players in Madison Bumgarner this offseason. In what direction do you see this team heading?

I offloaded a ton of guys, Bumgarner included. I don't expect the playoffs this year or even next, but it would be nice to see a second wildcard. There is still plenty of talent on the big league club, but my expectations are not that high. I hope to be back in a couple of seasons competing with the Rockies and Dodgers. If we do make the playoffs this year, Arroyo needs to continue to be amazing, and all of the veterans need to produce a lot. Posey, Belt, Crawford, Panik all need to put up good numbers. Anything is possible with pitching when you play half your games in AT&T, but if Blach keeps up his performance, he could be this team's ace.

2) You acquired a lot of prospects this offseason. Which one are you most excited about, and why?

Jo Adell really piques my interest, as he has all the tools to be a superstar. 80 grade speed and defense with good power is very rare to find. There's a good chance he never hits, though, and I really think Calvin Greenfield is a more sure hitter. He's what I drafted Evan White to be - a solid, all-around hitter who can steal some bases and play good defense. But, I am most excited about Juan Ramirez - he has an unrivaled Fastball/Cutter combo, reaching upper 90s with breathtaking movement. His changeup has a chance to be a third plus-plus offering. With a durable arm and decent enough command & control, he could be a bonafide ace. He's only 17 though, so he's got a long road.

[Commissioner Erick]

1) To what do you attribute your lackluster 2nd half last year, and how can you make sure you don’t stumble into the playoffs in 2019?

I remember answering this in a Game of the Week and after an offseason of reflection, it appears that the answers are still similar. There was a stretch of the season where we lost Michael Fulmer to injury, which combined with other injuries, really left us in a precarious situation. We never found a reliable fifth starter and the better options we discovered ended up being sent away due to roster crunches and GM mismanagement. I have to do better shaping the back of the rotation.

We also had significant injuries to our outfield, including a lingering injury that hamstrung David Dahl and a malady to Raimel Tapia. Gerardo Parra and Chris Heisey never hit last year as replacements and now they're gone. DJ LeMahieu never hit and now he's elsewhere. We needed one more bat and it took Justin Smoak surfacing to provide that for us.

We have a handful of minor leaguers graduating who can help out our offense in Josh Ockimey and Ryan McMahon. One of those two should produce some power for us. We also have a number of our young major leaguers now with several seasons under their belt which should mean they're hitting their prime. We think the offense and defense should be strong again. As for the rotation, we tried to make moves like adding J.A. Happ to improve our depth. A full year of Kevin Horney should help if he doesn't let his failed restaurant adventures and love of fancy timepieces affect his performance. We're still searching for one more arm, but if we can find one, we should be more solid across the board.

2) What are your plans if your pitching does not improve as expected this year? Do you have any fallback options to ensure that you stay competitive throughout 2019?

Not really. We have a modicum of budget room and some extra prospects we can dangle for small moves. We're comfortable in being aggressive in finding bit pieces who can play dividends. If Jon Gray doesn't have an ERA lower than 4.75 though, there's not that much we can do with the core of this team. So much of our season depends on him taking a step.

[dbackhon]

1) Talk us through your acquisition of Acuna this offseason. What do you see in him and what will he add to your club?

Our staff identified Acuna as a talented player with sky-high potential that needed a change in scenery. At the time we saw him as a "top prospect" that had been brought to the majors before he was ready. In the short term we see him as our opening day center fielder and consider this to be a "second rookie season." In terms of statistics we'd like to see him hit in around .250 with 10 HR while playing quality defense and being a threat on the base paths. Long term, we consider Acuna to be someone who can play CF for the Diamondbacks for the next decade and players like that don't find themselves on the trade market very often. It certainly was a risky move but one that I believe could have the potential to benefit our club immensely. As you mentioned earlier there is an opportunity for the Diamondbacks to have an elite outfield in a could of years, Acuna is a major part of that.

Moving Taijuan Walker seems like a bit of a risk for a team that has struggled to prevent runs. How do you intend to replace him?

Walker is certainly a good pitcher and one who was an asset to our club and will certainly be an asset to the Braves organization. However, when looking over the roster we believed that we wanted to give opportunities to our younger pitchers such as Anthony Banda and Ariel Jurado, not to mention that we expect Shipley to take a spot in the rotation as soon as he returns from injury. With all of these factors considered we believed that Walker has a good future ahead of him in the PBA but it would not likely be with the Diamondbacks organization. Finally the Diamondbacks are coming into the year with financial flexibility ($16 million of budget room) to acquire a high priced top-flight pitcher should the opportunity present itself.

[rdavispadres]

1) Pitching was not a strong suit for your club in 2018, and yet you moved Colin Rea this offseason. What are your intentions for the rotation, moving forward?

Moving Rea was a way for us to see what we have internally. We are going to need to protect some of our upper-level pitching prospects soon and can't afford a log jam of similar talent at the Major League Level. The plan is to allow the young arms to grow this year as they prove themselves ready for the big-time and weed out potential busts.



2) You have a very deep farm, including many players who are close to the majors. Who are you most excited about, and when can we expect to see them?

I'm most excited about Tatis for sure. He has the potential to be one of the most dynamic position players in the majors once he debuts. I don't currently have a timetable for his debut but I expect to see him sooner rather than later. especially if Cordoba regresses in his second full year in the majors.