Ranking the Best Offseason Addition for Each NL West Team: Spoiler Alert – Dodgers Win with Ohtani

5. Colorado Rockies: Dakota Hudson

On par with season expectations, the Colorado Rockies also did what was expected of them in the offseason - a whole lot of nothing.

After flipping a Canadian nickel to choose between Tennessee-born  Dakota Hudson and second-generation Canadian MLBer Cal Quantrill, the coin landed on the beaver, which in Canada is tails. My apologies to fellow Canuck Quantrill for picking heads, but here we are. 

When your biggest offseason acquisition comes down to these quasi-starting pitchers, it's really Rockies management leaving the fanbase's support to chance.

Rockies Futures Odds at FanDuel:

• World Series Winner: +50000 (longest odds)
• NL Winner: +20000 (longest odds)
• NL West Winner: +20000 (longest odds)
• 59.5 Reg. Season Wins: O -115 | U -105
• Worst Reg. Season Record: +240 (2nd shortest)

2. Arizona Diamondbacks: Eduardo Rodriguez

Much like the Arizona Diamondbacks fought the good fight only to finish a distant second to the Dodgers in the division last year, they also came up as the runner-up in the offseason acquisition race.

That said, Arizona not only addressed a need in the rotation but picked up one of the best-starting pitchers available. The D-backs inked Eduardo Rodriguez to a 4-year, $80 million deal just before LA landed Ohtani.

The veteran lefty is coming off one of his best seasons last year, pitching for a very bad Detroit Tigers team. Rodriguez hit career-bests in ERA (3.30), WHIP (1.15), and opponent batting average (.227).

Injuries derailed Rodriguez early in his career, but he was always looked at as a top prospect. If he stays healthy, there is no reason, the former Red Sox hurler can't thrive in a division where everyone except LA got worse. At +3000, Rodriguez could be a sleeper for the NL Cy Young.

Diamondbacks Futures Odds at FanDuel:

• World Series Winner: +4000 (14th shortest odds)
• NL Winner: +1800 (6th shortest odds)
• NL West Winner: +1000 (2nd shortest odds)
• 83.5 Reg. Season Wins: O -115 | U -105

3. San Francisco Giants: Jorge Soler

For the second offseason in a row, the Giants were flirted with, but the free agent prom king went home with someone else. In 2022, the Giants looked like they were about to land Aaron Judge, and last year, a Shohei San Francisco stocking stuffer seemed like a real possibility heading into the holidays. Instead, an 0-2 FA count leads the Giants to a poor man's version of both sluggers, who will see plenty of those counts at the plate.

Jorge Soler, who struck out 141 times in 137 games last season, signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the club in mid-February. The former Marlin does have some pop, hitting 36 home runs in 2023, but this will be his fourth team in three years and he won't move the needle much. 

Picked up in a trade with the Mariners, 2021 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray may be the bigger name, but he comes with a ton of uncertainty. A lackluster tenure in Seattle, in which Tommy John surgery caused him to miss almost all of 2023, will keep him out for the first half of this year. Evaluating what he will bring to the Bay area is nearly impossible.

Giants Futures Odds at FanDuel:

• World Series Winner: +6500 (11th longest odds)
• NL Winner: +3200 (6th longest odds)
• NL West Winner: +1500 (2nd longest odds)
• 81.5 Reg. Season Wins: O -115 | U -105

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4. San Diego Padres: Michael King

Outside of the LA Angels, the San Diego Padres took the biggest hit this offseason. They dealt way superstar Juan Soto, reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell is all but gone, and arguably the best closer in baseball, Josh Hader is now a Houston Astro. How do you rebound from that? They hope in the form of a lights-out reliever turned starting pitcher. 

Michael King was the most prominent MLB-ready piece to come back from the New York Yankees in the Soto deal. The 28-year-old showed promise with a handful of starts for New York down the stretch last year, highlighted by a 13-strikeout performance against the Toronto Blue Jays. King had 127 Ks in 104.2 innings pitched, with a 2.75 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 2023.

If San Diego can stretch him out, King could be a reliable front-of-the-rotation starter in Petco, a great pitcher's park.

Padres Futures Odds at FanDuel:

• World Series Winner: +6000 (13th longest odds)
• NL Winner: +2800 (9th shortest odds)
• NL West Winner: +1300 (3rd shortest odds)
• 81.5 Reg. Season Wins: O -105 | U -115

5. Colorado Rockies: Dakota Hudson

On par with season expectations, the Colorado Rockies also did what was expected of them in the offseason - a whole lot of nothing.

After flipping a Canadian nickel to choose between Tennessee-born  Dakota Hudson and second-generation Canadian MLBer Cal Quantrill, the coin landed on the beaver, which in Canada is tails. My apologies to fellow Canuck Quantrill for picking heads, but here we are. 

When your biggest offseason acquisition comes down to these quasi-starting pitchers, it's really Rockies management leaving the fanbase's support to chance.

Rockies Futures Odds at FanDuel:

• World Series Winner: +50000 (longest odds)
• NL Winner: +20000 (longest odds)
• NL West Winner: +20000 (longest odds)
• 59.5 Reg. Season Wins: O -115 | U -105
• Worst Reg. Season Record: +240 (2nd shortest)