N.L. West makes moves while Rockies stand pat
Considering the Rockies’ inactivity this offseason — Colorado is the only team to have spent $0 in major league free agency — how does the team’s hot stove, or lack thereof, compare to the other four teams in the National League West?
The short answer: Not good, as several others within the division have made bold moves to get better. Meanwhile, the Rockies are relying on a nearly identical team to bounce back from a 91-loss season.
Dodgers: The seventime divisional champions swung a still-unofficial blockbuster trade on Tuesday, acquiring MVP outfielder Mookie Betts and veteran southpaw David Price from the Red Sox while giving up secondyear outfielder Alex Verdugo and right-hander Kenta Maeda in a threeteam swap. They lost starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill to free agency, and traded Joc Pederson to the Angels following the Betts’ deal. But they also signed right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (0.78 ERA in 68 games in Oakland in 2018), right-handed starter Jimmy Nelson and lefthanded starter Alex Wood, who pitched in L.A. from 2015 to 2018.
Diamondbacks: Arizona made a statement on Dec. 17 by signing Madison Bumgarner to a five-year, $85 million deal. The 30year-old turned in a career-worst 3.90 ERA last year for San Francisco, but has never had an ERA over 4.00 in his 11 years in the majors, and the Diamondbacks are betting big the southpaw still has a lot left in the tank. Arizona also signed outfielder Kole Calhoun, catcher Stephen Vogt, right-hander Hector Rondon and right-hander Junior Guerra to freeagent deals. The Diamondbacks also traded for Pirates all-star outfielder Starling Marte.
Padres: Widely-ranked as having the top farm system in baseball, and coming off a busy offseason last year in which they signed third baseman Manny Machado to a mega-contract, the Padres used free agency to address pitching needs. That included signing free agents in southpaw Drew Pomeranz and right-hander Pierce Johnson (a Faith Christian product) and Craig Stammen, who had already established himself as a key piece of the
San Diego bullpen. They also made several trades, including acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham (21 homers for Tampa Bay last year), right-hander Zach Davies and infielder Jurickson Profar, among others.
Giants: San Francisco is clearly in rebuilding mode under new manager Gabe Kapler, but that didn’t stop the Giants from making at least a little noise. They signed infielder Wilmer Flores, as well as lefthander Drew Smyly, righthander Kevin Gausman (Grandview High alum) and ex-Rockies southpaw Tyler Anderson. And, with a look forward, they acquired a 2019 first-round pick, shortstop Will Wilson, in a deal at winter meetings.