Without question, the NL West was the strongest division in baseball this season. The Los Angeles Dodgers won it with the real-life equivalent of a Diamond Dynasty roster. It is the fifth straight time the Dodgers have won the NL West and the 13th time in the last 15 years. But they weren’t the only team to succeed. Despite a slow start, the San Diego Padres clinched their third straight 90+ win season. The Arizona Diamondbacks finished 10 games over .500 but missed the playoffs by two games. As for the other two, it’s a season they’d like to forget. Here is what each NL West team needs to do in order to get better in 2027.
What Should Each NL West Team Target?
Los Angeles Dodgers, Rework the Bullpen: Many assume that bringing back Tarik Skubal would be the Dodgers’ biggest need. But with the depth they have in the rotation, they could lose him and still be the NL West favorite. The Dodgers do need to do some work in the bullpen. They have four relievers set to hit free agency. Edwin Diaz also struggled and dealt with injuries, so you can not rely on him to pick up the slack. They could go big game hunting again and grab David Bednar. They also could go the cheaper route and bring in guys like Paul Blackburn, Bryan Abreu, and Mark Leiter Jr.
San Diego Padres, Add a Starter: The biggest need that the Padres addressed during the trade deadline was their starting rotation. With most of the guys they acquired entering free agency, the Padres have a chance to rework the pitching staff. With AJ Preller and a new ownership group that wants to make a splash, there is no telling what they might do. They might get aggressive and go after Skubal or try to re-sign Michael King. They could also look to the trade market and acquire Reid Detmers or Logan Gilbert. Regardless, the Padres should be in on every big-name arm available this offseason.
Arizona Diamondbacks, Find a Suitor for Ketel Marte: Over the past few seasons, there always seems to be some sort of drama between the Diamondbacks and Ketel Marte. This past season, there was the whole debacle in Boston when Marte didn’t show up, and the team didn’t know where he was. That was just the latest in a long string of off-the-field drama with Marte. At this point, it’s best for both sides to just move on. Get the distraction out of the locker room and bring in a couple of pieces that can help you next season. While the drama will lower his value, his talent should still get you a good return.
San Francisco Giants, Infuse Roster With Young Talent: The San Francisco Giants are in a tough spot. It is a team that could use a rebuild, but with the number of long-term bloated deals they have, it’s next to impossible to properly tear down the roster. The Giants will have to get creative if they want to compete in the NL West next season. They need to get younger, and someone like Denzel Clarke could be a perfect fit. The Athletics have a plethora of outfielders, and Clarke would give the Giants better defense. They could also take a stab at the international market with someone like Teruaki Sato, but that would block the other young players.
Colorado Rockies, Bring in Veteran Starters: With how hard it is to pitch in Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies tried everything to get solid starting pitching. But even with openers, multiple-inning relievers, and bulk pitchers, the Rockies still had an MLB-worst 5.59 ERA. To climb the NL West standings, they will need better starting pitching. They can’t bring in any of the big-name guys; however, someone like Griffin Canning or Foster Griffin could be a perfect fit. These are solid mid-rotation guys that can give you five or six quality innings. This is exactly the type of pitcher the Rockies are missing.
