Cespedes, Hilliard may get more at-bats as DHs
Milwaukee Brewers
How they look: The Brewers have turned over their roster considerably following back-toback appearances in the postseason. They will have three new members in the rotation: LHPs Brett Anderson and Eric Lauer and RHP Josh Lindblom, who starred in South Korea. C Omar Narvaez takes over behind the plate.
X-factor: OF Avisail Garcia was an All-Star in 2017 but has not lived up to lofty expectations. The Brewers signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract after he hit .282 with 20 homers and 10 steals in 125 games for the Rays last year.
COVID concern: LHP Angel Perdomo and IF Luis Urias will begin the season on the injured list. Acquired from the Padres in a trade, Urias was expected to compete with incumbent SS Orlando Arcia for the starting job.
Pittsburgh Pirates
How they look: After a 93loss season that included a second-half collapse, the Pirates cleaned house. Club president Frank Coonelly was fired along with general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle and replaced by Travis Williams, Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton. Cherington made few roster moves during his first offseason, though, beyond trading CF Starling Marte to the Diamondbacks.
X-factor: LF Bryan Reynolds began last season in the minor leagues but finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .314 with 16 home runs in 134 games. The 25-year-old will try to build on that season and show he is a cornerstone player.
COVID concern: RHP Blake Cederlind and OF Socrates Brito were sidelined in camp. The hard-throwing Cederlind has a chance to make the opening-day roster, while Brito is considered a depth option.
St. Louis Cardinals
How they look: The Cardinals return almost the identical roster that won the NL Central and made the NLCS before losing to the Nationals. The biggest question is in left field, where Tyler O’Neill and Lane Thomas will compete for the starting job and possibly will be pushed by prospect Dylan Carlson.
X-factor: CF Harrison Bader has shown flashes of stardom, and the Cardinals hope he puts it all together. Bader hit .205 with 12 homers and 11 steals in 128 games last season.
COVID concern: LHPs Genesis Cabrera and Ricardo Sanchez and 3B Elehuris Montero were unable to take part in workouts. Cabrera is the only one who has major league experience, appearing in 13 games last year as a rookie. RH reliever Jordan Hicks, who is a Type-1 diabetic, opted out July 13.
WEST Arizona Diamondbacks
How they look: The addition of LHP Madison Bumgarner has generated much excitement, and the possibility of IF/ OF Ketel Marte and 3B Eduardo Escobar duplicating breakout seasons has the club believing it can make a playoff run. Solid offensive showings also are needed from 1B Christian Walker, SS Nick Ahmed and CF Starling Marte, who recorded career highs in homers (23) and RBI (82) last season with the Pirates before being dealt to Arizona.
X-factor: Injuries and struggles limited IF Jake Lamb the past two years. It would be a boost if he can deliver some of his punch of 2016 and ’17.
COVID concern: RHP Junior Guerra and OF Kole Calhoun returned to camp after positive tests. RHP Mike Leake opted out early because of COVID-19 concerns.
Colorado Rockies
How they look: The Rockies are a long shot for the postseason, but improvement in their rotation could help lay a foundation for future success. Injuries and poor outings by LHP Kyle Freeland and RHP Jeff Hoffman hurt the club significantly last season, and inconsistency plagued RHP Antonio Senzatela. But they weren’t the only problems in the secondhalf collapse.
X-factor: With OF Ian Desmond opting out because of coronavirus concerns, RF Sam Hilliard could receive more playing time or get more at-bats as the DH. Hilliard had an outstanding year at Class AAA Albuquerque (New Mexico) before homering seven times in a short stint to end last season.
COVID concern: RF Charlie Blackmon, who tested positive weeks ago, had not reported to camp as of July 11. Manager Bud Black didn’t seem worried about whether Blackmon will be ready for the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
How they look: The Dodgers already were loaded before the acquisition of 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts and are heavy favorites to advance to their third World Series in four seasons. Betts bolsters a potent offense that also features the 2019 NL MVP, OF Cody Bellinger, plus 3B Justin Turner and IF Max Muncy. OF Joc Pederson also is back after the Dodgers tried to trade him – he hit 36 home runs, second on the team to Bellinger’s 47, but rarely faces lefthanded pitchers.
X-factor: LHP Julio Urias, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Ross Stripling and RHP Dustin May are the candidates to fill the void left by the departures of LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (Blue Jays) and RHP Kenta Maeda (Twins).
COVID concern: LHP David Price opted out, but it wasn’t known if any Dodgers actually contracted the virus because the club didn’t divulge any information.
San Diego Padres
How they look: The health of SS Fernando Tatis Jr., who was limited to 84 games last season, will be pivotal for a possible playoff run. A back injury in August ended his season, but it didn’t prevent him from exhibiting superstar potential and generating considerable buzz from fans. OF Tommy Pham, obtained from the Rays, could boost an inefficient offense. 3B Manny Machado, who faded horribly late last season, also needs a solid start for the club to contend.
X-factor: RHP Chris Paddack emerging as an ace and the team’s young starters developing consistency will be crucial.
COVID concern: Pham and IF Jorge Mateo tested positive, and 1B Eric Hosmer was considering wearing a mask when fielding.
San Francisco Giants
How they look: New manager Gabe Kapler, ousted after two seasons in Philadelphia, will lead the post-Bruce Bochy era with a club more suited to rebuilding. RHPs Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija head a rotation that could face challenges in depth and consistency. However, a youth movement is expected to be the main story with OF Mike Yastrzemski, who proved last season he could put up power numbers, and possibly IF/OF Mauricio Dubon leading the way. Despite the hype, it remains to be seen if rookie OF Jaylin Davis can deliver some pop.
X-factor: Kapler’s unorthodox managing style hasn’t always endeared him to players and fans.
COVID concern: C/1B Buster Posey opted out because of the premature twin girls he and his wife recently adopted.