Baseball season is just around the corner and TSN.
Johnny Gaudreau Jersey .ca has you covered for whos in, whos out and what to expect from all 30 teams. Check in every day
this week for two new division previews, finishing up with Scott MacArthurs look
at the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Heres what to expect out of the National
League West in 2014. NL WEST Arizona Diamondbacks GM: Kevin Towers Manager: Kirk
Gibson 2013: 81-81, third in NL West. Did not qualify for playoffs. That was
Then: Gibbys men were pretty much perfectly average in 2013. Apart from the
unforgettable brawl that erupted in mid-June when Ian Kennedy plunked
Zack Greinke (which, by the way, featured an incredible number of ex-MLB
All-Stars on the coaching staffs - including the entire side of Montgomery Burns
softball teams infield) the D-backs were 50/50 nearly the entire season. Never
finishing a single month more than three games above or below .500 nor boasting
a winning or losing streak of more than five games, the team was consistent from
start to finish. The big story for the team was Paul Goldschmidts emergence as
one of the games elite offensive weapons. Tops in homers and RBI, winning a Gold
Glove and finishing second in MVP balloting, the third-year pro was a mammoth
presence in the middle of an otherwise middling offence. They wound up second in
the West in large part to the Giants drop-off, but clearly had it in mind to
shake things up once the off-season kicked into gear. This is Now: There are a
lot of intriguing names among the list of players that flew into or out of
Arizona this off-season (see below). For the second straight year the D-backs
dealt away a one-time blue chip arm. In 2013 it was Trevor Bauer that was
Cleveland-bound and this past off-season it was Tyler Skaggs that was sacrificed
in order to land Mark Trumbos streaky bat from the Los Angeles Angels. With last
seasons mid-summer jettisoning of Ian Kennedy, one has to wonder what the
end-game is with the D-backs pitching. That said, Trumbo put either directly in
front of or behind Paul Goldschmidt gives Arizona one of the most fear-inducing
power combos in all of baseball. That might have been the greater concern for
Kevin Towers, considering his team tied for the fifth-least round-trippers in
the bigs in 2013. Addison Reed is a nice pick-up for a team that featured a
less-than-inspiring closer-by-committee approach last season and Bronson Arroyo
will eat a large share of innings for the teams young-ish rotation. Whos In?: SP
Bronson Arroyo (two-year contract), RP Addison Reed (trade with CHW), 1B
Mark Trumbo (trade with LAA). Whos Out?: RP Heath Bell (trade with TB), IF
Willie Bloomquist (signed with SEA), RP Shawn Camp (signed with PHI), 3B
Matt Davidson (trade with CHW), OF Adam Eaton (trade with CHW), C Wil Nieves
(signed with PHI), SP Tyler Skaggs (trade with LAA), SS Josh Wilson (singed with
TEX). Colorado Rockies GM: Dan ODowd Manager: Walt Weiss 2013: 74-88, fifth in
NL West. Did not qualify for playoffs. That was Then: The Rockies view didnt get
any better in 2013, as they held down their place in the N.L. West cellar,
albeit not finishing as miserably as they did the previous year. Injuries were
once again a problem for the Rockies core, as Troy Tulowitzki and
Carlos Gonzalez missed a combined 88 games due to injury. The pair can be one of
the most dynamic pairings in all of baseball - but neither has played more than
145 games in any single season since 2009. Jorge de la Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin
actually put up good win totals and decent numbers, especially considering they
were on a last-place club, but the back end of the rotation was patchwork for
much of the year. One of the games quietest All-Stars (and potential
Hall-of-Famers) bid farewell to the Coors Field faithful, as Todd Helton hung up
his spikes after 16 seasons in Denver. Helton retired the franchise leader in
games played, hits, home runs, RBI, total bases and more and the team has
already announced plans to retire his number 17. This is Now: A quick look at
the transactions below will reveal the amount of upheaval theres been for the
Rocks since October. Will all the changes turn the fortunes? Brett Anderson can
be an impact arm, but hes a health risk. Drew Stubbs and Justin Morneau could
help the offence, but Morneau, too, comes with injury baggage and is well
removed from MVP or even All-Star form. Dealing Dexter Fowler, too, seems an odd
move, considering he still had some contract control and plenty of speed to
burn. But the key for the Rockies, like every year, will come down to the health
of Tulo and CarGo. If both can find even moderate health, their career numbers
suggest they will carry the Rockies offence. But thats a huge "if" and not one
that the Rockies seem too intent to plan contingencies for. Whos In?: SP
Brett Anderson (trade with OAK), OF Brandon Barnes (trade with HOU), RP
Matt Belisle (mutual option exercised), RP LaTroy Hawkins (one-year contract),
RP Boone Logan (three-year contract), SP Jordan Lyles (trade with HOU), C
Michael McKenry (minor league contract), RP Franklin Morales (trade with BOS),
1B Justin Morneau (two-year contract), OF Drew Stubbs (trade with CLE). Whos
Out?: RP Mitchell Boggs (signed with CHW), RP Edgmer Escalona (signed with BAL),
OF Dexter Fowler (trade with HOU), SP Jeff Francis (signed with CIN), SP
Jon Garland (released), 1B Todd Helton (retired), IF Jonathan Herrera (trade
with BOS), SP Jeff Manship (signed with PHI), RP Josh Outman (trade with CLE),
SP Drew Pomeranz (trade with OAK), C Yorvit Torrealba (signed with LAA). Los
Angeles Dodgers GM: Ned Colletti Manager: Don Mattingly 2013: 92-70, first in NL
West. Lost to St. Louis in National League Championship Series. That was Then:
Having money certainly seems to suit the Dodgers fine. A year removed from
bankruptcy, the Dodgers built on the momentum theyd established at the end of
2012. With millions in cast-offs from the Boston Red Sox still on the payroll,
the Dodgers went out and spent even more, grabbing Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu
and re-upping Brandon League to build one of the majors truly frightening
staffs. But the big shift came in June with the arrival of Cuban outfielder
Yasiel Puig. Powerful, fast and electrifying, Puig shook up the N.L. West and
added a needed boost to the Dodgers outfield that saw Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier
and Carl Crawford all battle injuries. The Dodgers wound up running away with
the N.L. West, winning by a comfortable 11 games and all but eliminating the
shame of the Frank McCourt years. Post-season play would prove an up-and-down
experience at Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers would put the sticks to the Atlanta
Braves in the NLDS, winning their three games by a combined 13 runs, but their
nemesis would rear its head in the form of unlikely rookie Michael Wacha in the
NLCS. The 22-year-old held the Dodgers to just seven hits over two scoreless
starts, beating Kershaw in a pivotal Game 2 and the decisive Game 6. This is
Now: If you liked last year, you might love this year. The thought of an entire
year with a Puig-Kemp-Ethier outfield â€" health-permitting â€" is enough to
make Dodger fans eager for the 2014 season. The Dodgers rotation, already a
thing of beauty, went and bettered itself by adding Paul Maholm and Dan Haren.
The Dodgers also re-upped Brian Wilson, who looked very much his "Fear the
Beard" self after being cut adrift by the Giants prior to 2013. The infield will
take some re-shaping, with Mark Ellis moving to St. Louis and Michael Young
calling it a career, but if Hanley Ramirez can stretch what he did in 2013 over
a full season he might well have a career year. It would be a surprise if the
Dodgers werent a playoff team. The only question heading into this year is: Are
they a championship team? Whos In?: P Dan Haren, SP Paul Maholm (one-year
contract), RP Chris Perez (one-year contract), IF Justin Turner (minor league
contract), RP Jamey Wright (one-year contract). Whos Out?: RP Ronald Belisario
(signed with CHW), 2B Mark Ellis (signed with STL), SP Ted Lilly (retired), RP
Carlos Marmol (signed with MIA), RP Peter Moylan (signed with HOU), SP
Ricky Nolasco (signed with MIN), IF Nick Punto (signed with OAK), IF
Skip Schumaker (signed with CIN), SP Edinson Volquez (signed with PIT), IF
Michael Young (retired). San Diego Padres GM: Josh Byrnes Manager: Bud Black
2013: 76-86, third in NL West. Did not qualify for playoffs. That was Then:
All-in-all, you could probably say that the Padres 2013 campaign comes out as a
positive, but there were plenty of ups and downs to be considered before
reaching a final verdict. The good news is that the team finished third in the
division, ahead (once the math got worked out) of the Giants. They were above
.500 for a good chunk of June, which marked the first time the club had been in
that position since the end of 2010 and they finished strong, going 16-11 in
September including series wins over three divisional opponents. Jedd Gyorko was
also a rookie standout, leading the team in dingers (23) and RBIs (63). The Bad
news came from the Biogenesis verdict that saw shortstop Everth Cabrera slapped
with a 50-game suspension. His ban, coupled with the one handed to catcher
Yasmani Grandal at the end of the 2012 campaign hung a gigantic cloud over the
teams core talent. Add in a host of injuries that limited first baseman
Yonder Alonso to just 97 games in 2013 and it was really a year that a lot of
Padres players would like to have buried in the past. It will be interesting to
see how they follow it up. This is Now: The Padres took a chance with their
off-season strategy, but if the gamble pays off San Diego could be poised to at
least be respectable in the West. Joaquin Benoit will eat a whole bunch of
innings out of the pen and provides a nice back-up plan should Huston Street
falter or get hurt. He and Alex Torres should ease some of the sting of dealing
away Luke Gregerson. Similarly, Seth Smith provides some pretty decent pop off
the bench and is a nice addition as far as fourth outfielders go. Thats not the
risky part. If the Padres signed pre-shoulder surgery, 2010 edition of
Josh Johnson for $8 million, theyve added a big piece to their rotation. Hes a
player that was once one of the NLs best arms and might be worth a one-year
flier. That said, he was bad in 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He missed all
of May with a triceps injury and was shut down in August with forearm tightness.
If it were just a season of injuries that would be problematic enough, but he
logged just 81.1 innings, going 2-8 and posting a grotesque 1.66 WHIP. A
one-year deal is never truly risky, but an $8 million investment is not exactly
a low-risk proposition for a player that underwent off-season elbow surgery. Hes
already expected to miss at least a month with a flexor strain. Whos In?: RP
Joaquin Benoit (two-year contract), IF Ryan Jackson (trade with HOU), SP
Josh Johnson (one-year contract), OF Seth Smith (trade with OAK), RP Alex Torres
(trade with TB). Whos Out?: RP Anthony Bass (trade with HOU), RP Brad Boxberger
(trade with TB), RP Brad Brach (trade with BAL), IF Logan Forsythe (trade with
TB), RP Luke Gregerson (trade with OAK), 1B Jesus Guzman (trade with HOU), RP
Colt Hynes (trade with CLE), OF Mark Kotsay (retired), RP Tommy Layne (signed
with BOS). San Francisco Giants GM: Brian Sabean Manager: Bruce Bochy 2013:
76-86, fourth in NL West. Did not qualify for playoffs. That was Then: Its never
easy defending a championship and Giants fans found that out once more in 2013.
After locking Buster Posey down to a mammoth extension in March, the Giants
actually got off to a pretty decent start last season, playing .650 baseball
through the first 20 games of the season. But the summer would not be kind to
San Fran, as the Giants would drop 19 of 24 games in late June and early July.
Shortly after that horrible stretch Tim Lincecum would make history by throwing
a 148-pitch no-hitter, the second-highest count in MLB history. Losing Matt Cain
and Ryan Vogelsong for stretches didnt help their rotation any and by the time
the dust settled the Giants were fourth in the West, posting their first
sub-.500 season since 2009. This is Now: With the amount of talent the Giants
have at their core, its hard to believe they cant contend, despite the
disappointment that was 2013. After all, they missed the playoffs the year after
their 2010 triumph and came right back to win another championship the next
year. They went out and added a wealth of experience to their starting rotation
by taking a two-year chance on right-hander Tim Hudson, whose 205 career wins
are tops amongst active MLB pitchers. He should add some nice insulation at the
back end of their rotation behind the likes of Cain, Lincecum and
Madison Bumgarner. A suddenly-trim Pablo Sandoval will be an interesting sight
for the Giants this season and the Panda has made spring training promises to
lose even more weight. Meanwhile, the continued development of Brandon Belt
could provide even more runs for the traditionally run-starved team. Whos In?:
SP Tim Hudson (two-year contact), SP David Huff (minor league contract), OF
Michael Morse (one-year contract). Whos Out?: RP Jose Mijares (signed with BOS),
SP Chad Gaudin (signed with PHI), SP Guillermo Moscoso (signed in Japan), OF
Francisco Peguero (signed with BAL), OF Kensuke Tanaka (signed with TEX).
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