The National League West accounted for more wins than any other division in MLB this season, squeaking past the AL East with 421 wins to 420 — even with a 101-loss year by the Colorado Rockies.
Last offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks pushed ahead after their World Series run by reaching a record payroll, the Los Angeles Dodgers guaranteed more than $1 billion to three players, the San Diego Padres retooled and the San Francisco Giants spent big money to escape mediocrity.
So much talent flooded into the NL West from Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dylan Cease, Matt Chapman, Eugenio Suarez, Eduardo Rodriguez and Blake Snell (from Padres to Giants).
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The D-backs’ moves led to big hits and wide misses for an 89-win season that just missed out on the postseason. The Dodgers won the World Series, and the Padres found new life to earn the top NL Wild Card spot. The Giants failed to avoid a meandering 80-win season.
The NL West and the NL East were the only divisions with three of the top 10 teams in MLB by record. There’s little reason to believe the NL West won’t be a juggernaut again, so let’s go team-by-team to highlight free agents and burning questions:
NL West offseason preview
Dodgers 98-64
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Key free agents: OF Teoscar Hernandez, RHP Jack Flaherty, OF Kevin Kiermaier (retiring), RHP Joe Kelly, UTL Enrique Hernandez, RHP Daniel Hudson (retiring), RHP Blake Treinen, RHP Walker Buehler
Options: LHP Clayton Kershaw ($10 million player), SS Miguel Rojas ($5 million club), C Austin Barnes ($3.5 million club)
Burning question: How will the Dodgers address their pitching?
The Dodgers’ injured list looked like a capable starting rotation for much of the season. Los Angeles fell down to three healthy starters for the postseason, and two of them will hit free agency (Flaherty and Buehler).
Ohtani is expected to be back on the mound in 2025, joining a rotation with Glasnow and Yamamoto, who both missed time with injuries. Kershaw said he’d like to keep playing but will turn 37 years old and was held to seven games in 2024. Can Dustin May or Tony Gonsolin work back into the rotation? How about Bobby Miller after a difficult sophomore season? The Dodgers have several young options, as well, but they and the D-backs proved this year you can never have too much pitching depth. And there is a healthy market for starters, which could include Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki if he is posted. The Dodgers also don’t really have a closer, and the bullpen will need to be addressed.
Padres 93-69
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Key free agents: OF Jurickson Profar, LHP Tanner Scott, LHP Martin Perez, OF David Peralta, INF Donovan Solano, C Kyle Higashioka
Options: SS Ha-Seong Kim ($8 million mutual)
Burning question: Is there another blockbuster cooking?
The Padres have some work to do filling out the roster with their free agents, especially if Kim enters free agency, and considering starter Joe Musgrove recently underwent Tommy John surgery. But there is a strong core under contract and ready to win now after coming up one game short of beating the Dodgers in the NLDS. Cease, three-time batting title winner Luis Arraez and standout starter Michael King each have one more year under contract to add to the urgency, not that general manager A.J. Preller needs more pushing to get moves done. The Padres cut payroll last winter and came out with a better team. With Musgrove down, could the Padres shell out for another high-end starter?
Diamondbacks 89-73
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Key free agents: 1B Christian Walker, 1B Josh Bell, INF Kevin Newman, RHP Paul Sewald, OF Randal Grichuk ($6 million mutual option declined)
Options: LHP Jordan Montgomery ($22.5 million player), DH Joc Pederson ($14 million mutual), 3B Eugenio Suarez ($15 million club), RHP Merrill Kelly ($7 million), RHP Scott McGough ($4 million mutual)
Burning question: How different will the Diamondbacks look next year?
The 2024 Diamondbacks were better than the 2023 team in many ways, leading the league in runs and improving their win total by five games. Missing the postseason, though, was a disappointment, one that has led to staff changes headlined by pitching coach Brent Strom’s departure.
The roster faces some turnover potential. Walker has been the starting first baseman since 2019, while Pederson and Grichuk significantly improved Arizona’s DH output and likely priced themselves out of the options. The payroll entering free agency could vary depending on Montgomery’s decision following the worst season of his career. Arizona’s increased attendance revenue should keep the payroll competitive, managing partner Ken Kendrick has said this offseason. The D-backs have young talent led by Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte coming off a superstar season and ace Zac Gallen returning. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar may be in position to contribute after an injury-riddled 2024. How much of the band can the D-backs keep together around those guys?
Giants 80-82
(AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Key free agents: OF Michael Conforto, OF/1B Mark Canha, C Curt Casali
Options: LHP Blake Snell ($30 million player), LHP Robbie Ray (opt-out with two years, $50 million left), INF Wilmer Flores ($3.5 million player, turns to $8.5 million club if declined)
Burning question: How will Buster Posey attack the roster?
The Giants have already made significant changes this offseason, hiring Buster Posey to run baseball operations after letting go Farhan Zaidi. The franchise has struggled over the years to land a superstar, and last offseason they went in on Jung Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler and Chapman for the lineup plus Snell in the rotation. Injuries limited Snell early, although cruised in the second half. Lee missed most of the season with injury, Soler was shipped to Atlanta, while Chapman stuck and inked an extension.
All to say the Giants were pretty expensive to be so unremarkable in 2024, and if Snell walks then another gaping hole appears on the roster. The good news is this team isn’t without bright spots. It will get Lee back, and breakout seasons from Tyler Fitzgerald and Heliot Ramos provide some young firepower. San Francisco has talent in the bullpen, and Logan Webb is a steady frontline starter. Yet they were still not close to contending, and San Francisco has been .500 or worse every year from 2017-24 excluding the 107-win 2021. How can Posey differ from his predecessors?
Rockies 61-101
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Key free agents: OF Charlie Blackmon (retiring), RHP Daniel Bard
Options: C Jacob Stallings ($2 million mutual)
Burning question: Will the Rockies find inspiration from Kansas City?
The Rockies have not been particularly active over the past couple winters, so perhaps this offseason will be par for the course while they rely on the continued growth of a young core. Or, could they take inspiration from bottom-dwellers like the Royals and Tigers climbing into the postseason picture after adding veterans to complement their younger players, particularly Kansas City with Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha?
The Rockies don’t have a Bobby Witt Jr. or a Tarik Skubal, but young position players Ezequiel Tovar, Michael Toglia and Brenton Doyle all took steps last year and more prospects are lined up to get a look. Even while squinting, it’s difficult to imagine the Rockies competing for a Wild Card spot in 2025, but there is a blueprint for teams raising their floors and reaping the benefits.