HOW THE GIANTS STACK UP AGAINST THE REST OF THE NL WEST
(In projected order of finish) LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Key additions: Trevor Bauer, Tommy Kahnle, Corey Knebel, Alex Vesia, Sheldon Neuse, Garrett Cleavinger Key losses: Dylan Floro, Adam Koralek, Jake McGee, Alex Wood, Kiké Hernández, Joc Pederson, Pedro Báez Our breakdown: The reigning World Series champions expected to return the vast majority of their top players and enter the 2021 season as favorites to repeat, but that wasn’t good enough for Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman. Los Angeles ended up making the biggest splash of the offseason, adding 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer on a massive contract that pushed the organization well past the luxury tax threshold and added pressure on the franchise to continue its reign of supremacy atop the division. Former MVPs Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger return while shortstop Corey Seager is entering a contract year and could easily be the Dodgers’ most productive hitter this season. Max Muncy and Justin Turner will continue to provide stability in the lineup while the team’s rotation is as deep as any group manager Dave Roberts has ever had. The Giants’ top rivals are so talented that Roberts chose Dustin May ahead of fellow 2020 Rookie of the Year candidate Tony Gonsolin and veteran lefty David Price for the team’s fifth starter job.
If the Dodgers win fewer than 100 games, injuries might be the only explanation.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Key additions: Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Ha-Seong Kim, Joe Musgrove, Victor Caratini, Mark Melancon
Key losses: Garrett Richards, Trevor Rosenthal, Kirby Yates, Jason Castro, Greg Garcia, Francisco Mejia, Zack Davies, Joey Lucchesi
Our breakdown: The Dodgers won the World Series and then the Padres won the offseason.
Even with Los Angeles adding Bauer on a massive deal, no club made more headlines than the Padres, who acquired NL Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish and former AL Cy Young Blake Snell in blockbuster trades that give San Diego a star-studded rotation that should allow the club to compete with the Dodgers near the top of the division.
With superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. under contract for the next 14 years, Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer paid handsomely to provide power in the middle of the order and a strong bullpen that now features a familiar face in Mark Melancon, the Padres have all the pieces to give the Dodgers their best test in years.
GIANTS
Key additions: Tommy La Stella, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, Aaron Sanchez, Jake McGee, Matt Wisler, José Álvarez, LaMonte Wade Jr.
Key losses: Drew Smyly, Tony Watson, Trevor Cahill, Sam Coonrod, Shaun Anderson
Our breakdown: Zaidi has said securing a playoff berth is the Giants’ primary objective this season, but everyone in the organization realizes what a narrow path San Francisco has to potentially playing into October. For the Giants to earn a wild-card spot, nearly every key offseason acquisition will have to live up to or surpass expectations while an offense that ranked among the top 10 in several key statistical categories last season must find a way to replicate its success.
The Giants saw a few players including starting pitcher Logan Webb and outfielder Austin Slater take major steps forward during spring training, but they will need a season full of pleasant surprises to win enough games that Kapler’s club can spend the summer realistically thinking about the playoffs.
If the Giants fall out of contention early, a huge number of veterans are playing on expiring contracts and Zaidi will have an opportunity to own the trade deadline as a “seller.”
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Key additions: Tyler Clippard, Joakim Soria, Chris Devenski, Asdrúbal Cabrera
Key losses: Mike Leake, Hector Rondón, Junior Guerra, Jon Jay.
Our breakdown: A handful of projections expect the D’backs to finish ahead of the Giants, but we’re more bullish on San Francisco’s chances of contending because Arizona didn’t do much this offseason to improve a team that finished 25-35 last year.
David Peralta, Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar are exciting players who are tough on pitchers atop the lineup, but the D’backs don’t seem to have the same type of depth the Giants have built up and aren’t as equipped to handle injuries. Probable top starter Zac Gallen has a hairline fracture in his forearm and is out for an undisclosed period of time, which means Madison Bumgarner will start on Opening Day for the sixth time in his career.
The D’backs made a handful of additions in their bullpen this winter, but outside of snagging former A’s righty Joakim Soria, Arizona’s bullpen doesn’t look too menacing.
COLORADO ROCKIES
Key additions: Austin Gomber, Robert Stephenson, Greg Bird, C.J. Cron, Connor Joe, Dereck Rodríguez
Key losses: Nolan Arenado, David Dahl, Kevin Pillar, Daniel Murphy, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Kemp
Our breakdown: The Rockies are lost.
Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who tormented the Giants for nearly a decade, wanted out this offseason and the Rockies’ front office had little choice but to honor his wish. Star shortstop Trevor Story should be a building block for the franchise, but he might be gone as soon as the trade deadline and certainly won’t stick around if he becomes a free agent. Almost all of Colorado’s big free agent signings from the last two decades have failed to pan out while the organization has struggled to develop homegrown pitchers, which may not come as a huge surprise for a franchise that plays its home games at altitude. The Rockies’ 2021 rotation isn’t all that bad, but Colorado’s bullpen is a major concern.
As much as the Dodgers and Padres look poised to compete for 100 wins this year, the Rockies look destined to finish with at least 100 losses.