With almost half, 47 percent, of all games against division opponents this season, it’s vital to know what advantages you have against other teams in the division.

With that in mind, I’ll take a look at all eight fielding spots, the starting rotation, the bullpen and the coaching staff of those teams and rank them over the next month in “NL West primers” if you will.

This is the third of eleven posts as I take a look at second baseman. The first base primer is here.

Image: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

1. Arizona Diamondbacks

Aaron Hill has been a marvel for the D’backs the past season and a half. When he was acquired from Toronto in 2011, he was hitting .225 with only six home runs and was getting on base at a horrifying clip of .270. However, after coming to the D’backs, he’s been awesome. In 2012, he hit .302/.360/.522 in 156 games. He essentially locked down second base and provided a stabilizing power bat in the lineup. The D’backs will need that even more this year as second base might be their biggest advantage in the division.

2. San Francisco Giants

Marco Scutaro has always been a fairly consistent player throughout his career. He’s always around .280/.340/.400 with solid, not spectacular defense, at several positions. However, Outside of two-straight outstanding seasons in Toronto, 2008-09, Scutaro has never amassed more than 2.6 WAR. He’s a consistent yet limited player with some versatility. He’s probably much better than the next guy on our list….

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Mark Ellis had his best years with the Oakland A’s from 2005 to 2010. During that time, he amassed 19 WAR as an above-average starter. However, he seemed to really take a nose dive after that in 2011 with the A’s and Rockies. In 2012, he was awesome for the Dodgers in the first half of the season, but like many of their players, he really fell off in the second half. He slugged .315 in 69 games for L.A. in the last three months of the season. Which guy will show up in 2013?

4. Colorado Rockies

The next two slots is anyone’s guess really considering neither starter for the Rockies of Padres has much experience in the bigs. However, I happen to like Josh Rutledge – a third-round pick in 2010 – for the Rox. He hit .274/.306/.469 for Colorado in limited time – 291 plate appearances – in 2012. However, his minor-league numbers are more indicative of a higher average and on-base guy that has shown a little pop. He also came up through the minors as a short stop but showed he probably wasn’t good enough defensively for that spot in the majors. So the switch to second may do him well.

5. San Diego Padres

Logan Forsythe, a supplemental first-rounder in 2008, has in parts of the last two seasons for the Padres, accumulating a .254/.343/.390 slash line. He doesn’t have one tool that stands out, but is solid throughout. He won’t hit 20 home runs, though getting to 12 would be good, he won’t hit .300 or get on base at a .360 clip, but he’s the type of hitter and fielder that can be a big-league regular at second with the versatility to move around the infield. Despite being fifth on this list, the Padres could do much worse at second.

Heath Bell left pitching friendly Petco and fell apart compiling a 5.09 ERA and a 1.555 WHIP in 2012. Image: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

They announced earlier today Chris Young had been dealt to the Oakland A’s for Cliff Pennington and infield prospect Yordy Cabrera. In a separate but corresponding move, the D’backs sent Cabrera to the Marlins in exchange for Heath Bell and cash considerations as detailed here.

The Marlins will pay $8 million of the $21 million owed to Bell over the next two years; the D’backs will only pay $500 thousand of the $10 million owed to Young. Pennington is due $490 thousand in 2013.

Basically, the D’backs traded away Young and received Pennington and Bell and increased their payroll by $4 million.

The D’backs also exercised JJ Putz’s $6.5 million option for 2013 earlier in the morning. The D’backs bullpen is undeniably deep now with Putz, Bell, David Hernandez and Brad Ziegler all under team control. However, that group will also cost the D’backs $18.65 million in 2013 (using Zeigler’s arbitration number).

In 2012, the D’backs’ payroll was just under $75 million. If the D’backs stay close to that payroll number, those four pitchers will comprise almost 25% of that money. That’s just too much considering the D’backs still need to address third base, a lefty specialist in the bullpen, possibly a starting pitcher and possibly a short stop if they don’t see Pennington as starting caliber.

In 2012, Pennington had a horrific .215 average, .278 on-base percentage and a .311 slugging percentage. In the two seasons prior, he had a .687 OPS. It’s safe to say Pennington isn’t starting caliber.

But the most mystifying portion of this is the Bell trade. If the D’backs traded Young and used the money they saved on Young’s contract to pursue potential free agents at short stop or third base, that’s a smart move. They could have pursued free agents such as Marco Scutaro or even Stephen Drew at shortstop and Kevin Youkillis at third base. Either of those options is better than adding a seventh inning pitcher in Bell and a bench guy like Pennington. It could have even saved the Dbacks money, too.

Better yet, the D’backs could have used that money to re-sign guys like Daniel Hudson and Ian Kennedy. Instead, they spent all that money they saved on the Young deal plus $3.5 million more to sign Bell, who had a 5.37 ERA last season for the Marlins.

The Young trade marks the start of the Adam Eaton era in center field, which is the bright spot here. Eaton has really come on the last couple of years and could be a high on-base guy in the leadoff spot that the D’backs have been searching for.

It’s still a puzzling move. But it’s likely not the last for the D’backs this offseason.

Follow me on Twitter: @JLBurnfin

Marco Scutaro put the Rockies on the board first in the top of the first inning when he hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Dexter Fowler from third base, and putting Colorado on top 1-0.

Arizona responded in the bottom half of the inning when Jason Kubel blasted his 22nd home run of the season to left-center field, to tie the score up at 1-1.

Colorado would add a couple runs in the top of the third inning when Scutaro doubled to left field, plating Colorado starting pitcher Jeff Francis and Fowler to extend their lead at 3-1.

Wilin Rosario homered to left field in the top of the fourth inning to add to Colorado’s lead, and put the Rockies up 4-1.

Arizona catcher Miguel Montero would blast a home run to right field in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Rockies’ lead to 4-2.

Unfortunately for Arizona, Colorado starter Jeff Francis kept the D-backs offense off-balance all night, limiting Arizona to only five hits and two earned runs through six innings pitched.

Arizona starter Trevor Cahill had a solid start, allowing eight hits and four earned runs through 6.2 innings pitched. He did not receive the offensive support that other starters had received in the past five victories at home.

Wade Miley will take the mound tomorrow as Arizona opens a four game series against the visiting New York Mets.