Hot Stove Update: Comparing the Offseasons of the NL West Teams

Here is my review and breakdown of the offseasons for each of the NL West Teams:

DODGERS

While Zack Greinke's opt out clause should have been an ominous sign for the Dodgers offseason, I think most Dodgers fans and most analysts of the MLB scene expected the Dodgers to simply pull out their checkbook, tell Greinke to write in whatever he wanted for an extension and go on like nothing had happened.  It was not to be.  The longer it dragged on, the more you got the feeling Greinke was not going to be a Dodger in 2016.  He did not sign with the Giants either, but he did sign with a division rival, the D'Backs, in one of the more disastrous free agent losses for any team in history.

The Dodgers scrambled while the offseason seemed to go from bad to worse.  They signed RHP Hisashi Iwakuma only to have the deal fall apart after his physical.  They were within minutes of making a trade for LHP Aroldis Chapman only to have that deal blow up when a police report of domestic violence came to light.

The Dodgers got their ship stabilized and ended up on some better notes, but did not come close to doing anything likely to overcome the loss of Zack Greinke.  In summary:

Losses:  Greinke, SS Jimmy Rollins.

Gains:  LHP Scott Kazmir, RHP Kenta Maeda.

Returning Free Agents:  LHP Brett Anderson(accepted QO),  2B Howie Kendrick.

Final Grade:  D.   The way I see it, the Dodgers still have a strong team, and could still be favorites to win the NL West, but this was a disastrous offseason!  They lost their co-ace to a division rival and replaced him with a guy(Kazmir) who has never really put a full good season together and a Japanese pitcher who might be good until he's faced opposing teams once or twice, but whose comps most closely resemble pitchers who did not make a successful transition to MLB baseball.

DIAMONDBACKS

The D'Backs spent a shipload of money to pry RHP Zack Greinke away from the Dodgers and Giants, then sent a shipload of prospects to the Braves for RHP Shelby Miller.  They also added SS Jean Segura in another dubious trade and RHP Tyler Clippard as a free agent.  Did they get enough better to challenge the Giants and Dodgers in the NL West?  Probably not, and this offseason is not going to age well for them.  In summary:

Losses:  OF Ender Inciarte, SS Dansby Swanson(prospect), 2B Aaron Hill, RHP Aaron Blair(Prospect), OF Isan Diaz(prospect).

Gains:  Grienke, Miller, Clippard, Segura.

Retained FA's: None.

Final Grade:  C.  Getting Greinke was a major coup, but even his deal is unlikely to age well.  Inciarte alone would have been too much to give up for Miller and Swanson will make the D'Backs regret that trade much sooner than later.

PADRES

The Padres were the D'Backs of last year as their new GM, AJ Preller traded away the farm in an effort to jumpstart the Padres fortunes.  It did not work out and they were faced with an offseason in which their only acquisition to play up to his cost, was now a FA.  They Padres lost OF Justin Upton and gained virtually nobody.  AJ was still busy trading, though.  In summary:

Losses:  Upton, RHP Ian Kennedy, RHP Joaquin Benoit, RHP Craig Kimbrel, 1B Yonder Alonso, 2B Jedd Gyorko, RHP Odrisamer Despaigne, OF Rymer Liriano(Prospect).

Gains:  SS Alexei Ramirez, RHP Fernando Rodney, LHP Drew Pomeranz, OF John Jay.

Final Grade:  D+.  Some of those losses are addition by subtraction and Upton and Kimbrel were always rentals.  They actually got a nice package of prospects back for Kimbrel.  Still it's hard to see how this offseason helps much now or in the long run.  The Padres will pay for the grandiosity of last offseason for a long time.

ROCKIES

The Rockies have never figured out how to build and maintain a pitching staff that can survive Coors Field and they seem as lost as ever.  Their main additions this winter are in the bullpen, so maybe that is the key?  Seems unlikely.  In Summary:

Losses:  OF Corey Dickerson, LHP Rex Brothers, RHP Tommy Kahnle, 1B Justin Morneau, RHP Kyle Kendrick, RHP John Axford, C/1B/DH Wilin Rosario.

Gains:  LHP Jake McGee, OF Gerardo Parra, 1B Mark Reynolds, RHP Jason Motte, RHP Chad Qualls.

Final Grade:  D.  I liked the trade for McGee, but not much else makes sense here.  The Rockies are the same old team they have always been.  Mashers on offense, mediocre on D and terrible pitching.

GIANTS

I've already broken down the Giants offseason and given them a letter grade of A-.  Here's the summary:

Losses:  RHP Tim Hudson, RHP Tim Lincecum, RHP Ryan Vogelsong, OF Marlon Byrd, OF Nori Aoki, RHP Mike Leake.

Gains:  RHP Johnny Cueto, RHP Jeff Samardzija, OF Denard Span.

Byrd and Leake were rentals.  Hudson and Lincecum were non-factors by the end of the season.  Vogey is getting very long in the tooth.  As we have said, there are risks to the acquisitions, but a high probability that all 3 will be big upgrades.

So, the Giants are hands down winners of the offseason in the NL West.  The only question is whether their gains coupled with the Dodgers losses are enough propel the Giants past the Dodgers to the NL West title.