A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:
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Los Angeles Dodgers
Manager: Dave Roberts (sixth season).
2019: 43-17, first place, World Series champions.
Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.
Park: Camelback Ranch.
First Workout: Feb. 18/23.
He’s Here: RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Tommy Kahnle, LHP Garrett Cleavinger.
He’s Outta Here: 3B Justin Turner, RHP Pedro Báez, INF/OF Enrique Hernández, LF Joc Pederson, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jimmy Nelson, OF Terrance Gore.
Going campin’: After winning their first World Series title since 1988 during the pandemic-shortened season, the Dodgers are looking to repeat. They made a major splash just before spring training, signing Bauer a year after trading for Mookie Betts and David Price in February. The roster boasts an enviable three MVPs and three Cy Young Award winners, making the Dodgers the favorites to win a ninth straight NL West title, which would extend their franchise record. The addition of Bauer gives Los Angeles perhaps the best rotation in baseball and bulks up the staff for a full 162-game season after last year’s abbreviated 60-game regular season. Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Bauer and David Price, who opted out last year because of the pandemic, appear to be locks. There is depth behind them, too. The Dodgers shed some roster stalwarts in free agency, including Hernández, Pederson and Báez, and had yet to re-sign Turner. But the core offensive group returns, including Betts, Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and World Series MVP Corey Seager.
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San Diego Padres
Manager: Jayce Tingler (second season).
2020: 37-23, second place, lost to Dodgers in Division Series.
Training Town: Peoria, Arizona.
Park: Peoria Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 17/22.
He’s Here: RHP Yu Darvish, LHP Blake Snell, RHP Joe Musgrove, 2B Kim Ha-seong, C Victor Caratini, INF/OF Brian O’Grady.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Kirby Yates, INF Greg Garcia, C Jason Castro, RHP Garrett Richards, 1B Mitch Moreland, RHP Luis Perdomo.
Going campin’: This will be one of the most-anticipated seasons in Padres history. Anchored by a star-studded infield with SS Fernando Tatis Jr. and 3B Manny Machado, San Diego ended a 13-year playoff drought and won a first-round series against St. Louis last season before being swept out of the Division Series by the rival Dodgers, who went on to win the World Series. The electrifying Tatis has hit full-blown superstar status on and off the field, including being selected as the cover athlete for the video game MLB The Show 21. The cover shows Tatis doing a bat flip after one of his two homers in Game 2 against the Cardinals. At 22, he’s the youngest player chosen for the cover. After running out of starting pitching in the playoffs and then losing Mike Clevinger to Tommy John surgery, general manager A.J. Preller quickly rebuilt the rotation with a flurry of blockbuster trades after Christmas that landed Darvish, Snell and local product Musgrove. The Padres are eager to find out what shape Dinelson Lamet is in after he missed the playoffs with an arm ailment that did not require surgery. Lamet was showing ace stuff before the injury and finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting. Last year’s opening day starter, Chris Paddack, could be pushed all the way down to No. 4 or 5 in the rotation. Fans will be eager to see how Kim, a slugger from South Korea, fits into the mix at second base, where Jake Cronenworth played well enough to finish in a tie for second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The Padres will need to retool their bullpen, which started out as one of their big strengths last season before being hit by a rash of injuries. Yates made only six appearances before requiring season-ending surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, then signed with Toronto. Trevor Rosenthal, acquired in one of six deals Preller made before the Aug. 31 trade deadline, remains unsigned. LF Tommy Pham was stabbed in an altercation in a strip club parking lot in mid-October and required 200 stitches. San Diego re-signed Jurickson Profar, who played five positions last season. The Padres don’t know yet if fans will be allowed at spring training games.
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San Francisco Giants
Manager: Gabe Kapler (second season).
2020: 29-31, third place.
Training Town: Scottsdale, Arizona.
Park: Scottsdale Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 17/22.
He’s Here: C Buster Posey, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, 2B Tommy La Stella, OF LaMonte Wade, RHP John Brebbia, C Curt Casali.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Trevor Cahill, LHP Drew Smyly, LHP Tony Watson, RHP Sam Coonrod, LHP Andrew Suarez, RHP Shaun Anderson.
Going campin’: The Giants finished one game out of a playoff spot in Kapler’s first season after replacing Bruce Bochy, who retired. They didn’t make any major moves this offseason but will get Posey back behind the plate after he opted out of the 2020 season. The Giants hope the time off has helped Posey heal from injuries and regain the power stroke that was missing from 2018-19. San Francisco re-signed RHP Kevin Gausman after a solid 2020 season and added Wood and DeSclafani to bolster the rotation. La Stella provides an upgrade at second base, but the Giants have a lot of work ahead to catch up to the Padres and Dodgers in the NL West. The Giants say they received approval from Major League Baseball and are working with the City of Scottsdale to host about 750-1,000 fans at Scottsdale Stadium for spring training games. Current season-ticket members will be contacted and given first priority to buy seats sold in socially distanced pods of two or four throughout the ballparks. Fans will be required to wear masks.
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Colorado Rockies
Manager: Bud Black (fifth season).
2020: 26-34, fourth place.
Training Town: Scottsdale, Arizona.
Park: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
First Workout: Feb. 18/23.
Here’s Here: LHP Austin Gomber, RHP Robert Stephenson.
He’s Outta Here: 3B Nolan Arenado, OF David Dahl, INF Daniel Murphy, OF Kevin Pillar, DH/OF Matt Kemp, RHP Jeff Hoffman, C Tony Wolters.
Going campin’: For the first time since 2013, Arenado won’t be the opening day starter at third base for the Rockies. The eight-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star forced his way out of the Mile High City by sticking to his request to be traded. He was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for Gomber and four minor leaguers in a deal that frustrated Rockies fans. As part of the trade, Colorado will send cash to St. Louis to offset some of the money Arenado is due in his contract. His frustration was with a front office that didn’t make any major moves to contend with the perennial NL West champion Dodgers. The Rockies made the postseason in 2017 and ’18, but slid back in ’19 with a 91-loss campaign and missed the postseason again in ’20. It appeared Arenado would be a Rockies lifer after he signed a $260 million, eight-year contract in February 2019. Soon after, things began to unravel. Colorado owner Dick Monfort understands the frustration: “To be quite honest, I’d probably feel the same way. Maybe I even do feel the same way.” A replacement to fill Arenado’s spot could be his cousin, Josh Fuentes. The Rockies will have back versatile veteran Ian Desmond, who opted out last season due to virus concerns. Colorado didn’t make any splashy moves — besides the Arenado deal that had baseball buzzing. The handling of Arenado may play a role in negotiations with All-Star shortstop Trevor Story, who can become a free agent after this season. One thing the Rockies do have is a potentially solid rotation led by German Márquez, Antonio Senzatela, Jon Gray and Kyle Freeland. The team is expected to have some fans at Salt River for Cactus League games, about 17% capacity or roughly 2,200 fans.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager: Torey Lovullo (fifth season).
2020: 25-35, fifth place.
Training Town: Scottsdale, Arizona.
Park: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
First Workout: Feb. 17/22.
He’s Here: RHP Joakim Soria, RHP Chris Devenski.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Junior Guerra, RHP Hector Rondon, OF Jon Jay, RHP Mike Leake.
Going campin’: The Diamondbacks were very quiet during the offseason after a disappointing last-place finish in the NL West in the shortened 2020 season. GM Mike Hazen has opted to stand pat with the vast majority of his roster, and the hope is young players like C/OF Daulton Varsho and INF Andy Young can grow into useful pieces. Arizona also hopes to get good bounce-back years from veterans like LHP Madison Bumgarner and 2B/3B Eduardo Escobar. The Diamondbacks want to build their lineup around 2B/SS/OF Ketel Marte, SS Nick Ahmed, OF Kole Calhoun and 1B Christian Walker. RHP Zac Gallen enters the season as the staff ace after an excellent 2020 season that featured a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts. The team is still looking for its closer, which could come from a group that includes Soria, RHP Stefan Crichton and RHP Kevin Ginkel.
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