National League West
NL West: Three fixes for each team
Welcome to the National League West, baseball’s most unpredictable division. I wouldn’t be surprised if all five teams finished 81-81 in 2012.
Here are three fixes or action items for each club.
1. Rotation (Joe Saunders, eligible for arbitration)
Arizona’s rotation posted a 3.84 ERA, only ninth in the NL, but a strong figure considering it had to pitch half its games in the desert. Most impressive, only the Phillies received more innings from their starters. If there’s a red flag, it’s that the rotation ranked 14th in the NL in strikeouts per nine innings. Saunders is in his final year before free agency, after posting a solid 3.69 ERA over 212 innings, and Arizona might not want to pay him the big increase he’ll get from his 2011 salary of $5.5 million. The back of the rotation has an opening as well.
Likely solution: Look for the D-backs to re-sign Saunders to a two-year deal. He doesn’t strike out many guys, but Arizona’s outfield of Justin Upton, Chris Young and Gerardo Parramight cover the most ground in baseball. Rookies Jarrod Parker, Wade Miley and 2011 No. 1 pick Trevor Bauer should battle for the No. 5 spot out of spring training.
2. Find a leadoff hitter
Arizona’s starting eight looks set, but nobody on the roster profiles as a quality leadoff hitter. Arizona leadoff hitters compiled a .314 OBP, with light-hitting Willie Bloomquist leading off most often, 75 times.
Likely solution: Kirk Gibson needs to think outside the box here, with a lefty/righty platoon perhaps necessary. How about Young leading off against lefties? He posted a .392 OBP against them in 2011, and Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt can provide power lower in the order. Parra might be the best option against right-handers.
3. Bullpen depth
The bullpen ERA improved from 5.74 in 2010 (worst in the NL) to 3.71 (10th). It helped that it didn’t have to throw many innings, but there’s no guarantee the rotation will carry such a heavy workload again. Plus, closer J.J. Putz has been injury-prone in his career and guys like Micah Owings and Bryan Shaw were surprising contributors.
Likely solution: Arizona won’t spend big here, although a guy like Jonathan Broxton would have been a nice gamble. Look for them to troll for a veteran lefty or make a minor deal.
1. Finder another bat — one who can hit
The Giants’ offensive woes were well-documented, of course — last in the NL in runs scored, with the lowest on-base percentage. Some of that is the ballpark, some of it was injuries, but there’s no denying it was a terrible offensive team.
Likely solution: No, Melky Cabrera is not the only answer. Or shouldn’t be. While he had a career year with the Royals, his .339 OBP is hardly star level, and he hit 30 points above his career average. The other outfielders on the roster are Andres Torres and Nate Schierholtz. That’s not a division-winning outfield. Brian Sabean: You need Carlos Beltran back. How many more years can you get out of that great young rotation before somebody gets hurt or leaves via free agency? You have to win now. Sign Beltran.
2. Shortstop (Brandon Crawford)
The ill-advised idea to sign Miguel Tejada last season predictably didn’t work out. Crawford has the goods on defense, but his .204 batting average is an accurate indicator of his offensive abilities. Crawford remains the default option right now, and while the Giants got into a bizarre bidding war for Bloomquist, Giants fans would love to see a different free-agent shortstop in the Bay Area.
Likely solution: You never know, but there are no signs the Giants are pursuing Jose Reyesor Bay Area native Jimmy Rollins. The Giants signed Javier Lopez to a two-year, $8.5 million deal and picked up Jeremy Affeldt‘s $5 million option. Why not use some of that money for a shortstop? In the end, unless the Giants sneak in for a second-tier shorstop like Rafael Furcal, it looks like Crawford will be the guy.
3. No. 5 spot in the rotation
The two candidates on the roster right now are Barry Zito (5.87 ERA in 53 innings) and Eric Surkamp (5.74 ERA in six starts as a rookie). As good as Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain andMadison Bumgarner are, and as good as Ryan Vogelsong was in 2011, the rotation is one major injury and Vogelsong regression from looking a little shaky.
Likely solution: Surkamp had great numbers at Double-A — 142.1 IP, 110 hits, 44 BB, 165 SO — and the Giants skipped him past Triple-A in promoting him to the majors. He’s a lefty who isn’t overpowering with a fastball that averaged just 87.9 mph in his stint in the majors. Look for Zito to get the job out of spring training: “I’m not gonna hide from it: Barry Zito is our fifth starter next year,” Bruce Bochy told KNBR radio station in November.
1. Find a new owner
While the Dodgers were allowed to sign Matt Kemp to a $160 extension, until Frank McCourt sells the club, the bankrupt Dodgers will be hamstrung on moves. McCourt has agreed to sell the team by April 30.
Likely solution: The bidding process starts next week and Mark Cuban says he’ll participate. Dodgers fans should love that idea, but baseball previously balked when Cuban looking into buying the Cubs and Rangers. A team of investors fronted by ex-Dodgers Orel Hershiser and Steve Garvey is one possibility. Former agent Dennis Gilbert, who also pursued the Rangers, fronts another group of partners.
2. Infield
Here’s how bad the Dodgers’ offense was in 2011:
First base: 27th in majors in OPS
Second base: 28th in majors in OPS
Third base: 24th in majors in OPS
Shortstop: 19th in majors in OPS
Likely solution: The Dodgers have already signed Mark Ellis to play second base and Adam Kennedy to help at third, low-cost fixes but hardly great solutions. It looks like another year of James Loney at first base, but maybe it’s time to punt on him and try prospect Jerry Sands. Loney has hit just 48 homers over the past four seasons and doesn’t walk much. He’s a .281 hitter without anything to go with it, and he’s due a raise in arbitration over the $4.88 million he made in 2011. The lone bright spot is speed demon shortstop Dee Gordon, who looks to show his .304 rookie season wasn’t a fluke. (Juan Uribe is also still around, at $16 million over the next two seasons. Yay.)
3. Rotation (Hiroki Kuroda, free agent)
GM Ned Colletti has indicated the club can’t afford to re-sign Kuroda, unless he’s willing to take a big cut. (Kuroda has said he’ll either sign with the Dodgers or return to Japan). AfterClayton Kershaw, Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley, there are two spots to fill.
Likely solution: Cheaper free agent veterans like Aaron Harang or Chris Capuano are possibilities. Trading Andre Ethier for a starter is another option. Look for the No. 5 spot to be filled from within — somebody like Nathan Eovaldi, Allen Webster or Chris Withrow.
1. Third base (Ian Stewart)
Rockies third basemen hit a combined .222/.281/.348, among the worst production from the position in the majors, as Ty Wigginton earned the majority off the playing time after Stewart collapsed. Stewart hit .156 with zero home runs in 122 at-bats, although he found his stroke at Colorado Springs (of course, everyone finds their stroke at Colorado Springs). Here’s the thing about Stewart: Even when he was good, he wasn’t that good — his park-adjusted OPS from 2008 to 2010 still places him as a below-average hitter.
Likely solution: It’s possible Stewart gets non-tendered; there’s also rumors off a Stewart-for-Blake DeWitt deal with the Cubs (your abscess for our canker sore). Top prospect Nolan Arenado, the Arizona Fall League MVP, hit .298 with 20 home runs at Class A Modesto, but he’s just 21 in April and probably needs another season in the minors. The Rockies have also asked about Atlanta’s Martin Prado, reportedly offering outfielder Seth Smith.
2. Starting pitcher (Jorge De La Rosa out for at least half the season)
As 2011 proved, it’s still difficult to build a consistent rotation in Colorado. The Rockies’ rotation compiled a 4.73 ERA, ranking 15th in the NL. Yes, Coors Field is a hitter’s park, but it’s no longer the Coors Field of old. It was a bad rotation. Right now, Jhoulys Chacin is the only starter who looks like a reliable option for 2012.
Likely solution: What the Rockies have done is collect young, power arms. They got Drew Pomeranz and Alex White for Ubaldo Jimenez; they just picked up Tyler Chatwood from the Angels for Chris Iannetta. Esmil Rogers is still around, and still very raw. A veteran starter acquired via trade is a possibility to line up behind Chacin and Jason Hammel; one guy the Rockies have pursued is Jeremy Guthrie, offering closer Huston Street.
3. Second base (Mark Ellis signed with the Dodgers)
Jonathan Herrera is still around, but the .300 average he posted in April looked more and more like a fluke as the season progressed. He finished at .242, and considering he has no power, isn’t a viable short-term or long-term solution.
Likely solution: Look for the Rockies to make a trade pitch for Padres second basemanOrlando Hudson. There isn’t much left on the free-agent market, although Kelly Johnsonwould make for an interesting risk in the thin air if he doesn’t re-sign with the Blue Jays.
1. Bullpen/closer (Heath Bell, signed with Marlins; Chad Qualls, free agent)
Welcome to San Diego, Josh Byrnes. The new GM will have to figure out how to build a winning club on a payroll of $53-55 million. But you know what? The Padres aren’t that far behind the Diamondbacks. The Padres had a run differential of minus-18; the Diamondbacks had a run differential of plus-69. The Padres would have been expected to win 79 games based on their differential; the D-backs 88. With the departure of Bell and last season’s trade of Mike Adams, the Padres will be looking for bullpen depth.
Likely solution: Ernest Frieri and Luke Gregerson are the best internal candidates, but Frieri needs to improve his control and Gregerson is more of a righty specialist. Rookie Brad Brach, a one-time 42nd-round draft pick who signed for $1,000 has dominated in the minors but probably needs time in middle relief. The Padres won’t spend big on a free agent, so look for a trade.
2. Power (empty)
Ryan Ludwick led the team with 11 home runs. Nobody else reached double digits. And don’t blame the deep canyons of Petco Park — the Padres hit 45 home runs on the road, fewest in the majors.
Likely solution: None. The Padres’ “big” moves have to been bolster the bench with Mark Kotsay and John Baker. Prospect Anthony Rizzo, who hit 26 home runs in 93 games at Triple-A Reno, will be given another shot at first base after hitting .141 with one home run in 128 at-bats with San Diego. Kyle Blanks is still around, but at 270 pounds, his lack of range in the outfield is a problem. Third-base prospects Jedd Gyorko and James Darnell are both close to big-league ready and provide some hope for punch down the road.
3. Starter (Aaron Harang, free agent)
Mat Latos, Cory Luebke and Tim Stauffer are a solid top three, with Luebke’s season in particular flying under the radar (154 strikeouts in 139.2 innings). The Padres got good work out of Dustin Moseley and Clayton Richard over 38 combined starts, but both guys delivered just 4.8 strikeouts per nine innings and are good bets to regress, even pitching in Petco.
Likely solution: The Padres have offered Harang arbitration, but he’ll probably get a two-year offer from another team. Otherwise, it’s hoping that Moseley and Richard hold their own and that prospects Casey Kelly and Robbie Erlin (acquired in the Adams trade) are ready by midseason.