Dbacks Not Only NL West Team Making Big Moves in Off-Season
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Diamondbacks are just one team in the NL West that has looked to improve itself in the off-season. All the others have made moves to try to do the same. Even after winning the division, there is always room for improvement. Here is a look at the biggest additions and losses for each NL West team through this weekend. I would suspect that some teams, even the Dbacks, are not done making moves yet. We shall see.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
Additions: Trevor Cahill, Craig Breslow, Jason Kubel
Losses: Joe Saunders, Jarrod Parker
Cahill should replace Saunders in the rotation nicely. Saunders will be missed, but not at his asking price and I believe Cahill brings a little more consistency to the rotation. Parker is a loss however sometimes in order to go forward you have to part with some of your best pieces. The jury is still out on Kubel.
Additions: Michael Cuddyer, Casey Blake, Ramon Hernandez, Tyler Colvin
Losses: Aaron Cook, Huston Street
I like the pickup of Cuddyer for the Rockies. I see him hitting well and often. Casey Blake is also another pickup for them and gives them another great veteran presence in the infield.
Additions: Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang, Jerry Hairston, Adam Kennedy, Mark Ellis
Losses: Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland
The Dodgers didn’t make huge splashes in free agency, but then again, they picked up a nice group of players that should contribute immediately. Harang regrouped with the Padres last season after a sub-par 2010 season with the Cincinnati Reds. I like the pickup of Ellis.
Additions: Huston Street, Carlos Quentin, Edinson Volquez
Losses: Heath Bell, Mat Latos
I still think the Padres lost more than they gained. Bell is better than Street, but that’s just one man’s opinion. Latos is a huge loss though in my opinion. I believe he is a better pitcher than Volquez. Quentin is their wild-card. The former Dback who turned things around in Chicago tailed off a bit last season. Maybe another move will re-vitalize him.
Additions: Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan
Losses: Cody Ross, Carlos Beltran, Andres Torres, Pat Burrell, Jonathan Sanchez
They have a lot of money tied up in Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand, who is no longer with the team. They are going to have to pay a lot to Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, so they were not able to make many additions. Cabrera hit .305 with the Kansas City Royals last season, so he should be a nice pickup for the Giants offense.
Follow Scott Allen and Venom Strikes on Twitter @azsportsguy