MLB Offseason Financial Preview: NL West

By: Michael GinnittiPublished: November 6, 2018
MLB Offseason Financial Preview: NL West

Our MLB offseason series highlights an outlook of each team's financial status, including 2019 payroll, notable free agents, players with options, arbitration-eligibilites, and contract extension and/or trade candidates as well. We continue our series with the National League West, led by the World Series runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers, who posted 92 wins in 2018 regular season. Keep the conversation going @spotrac

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Los Angeles Dodgers

Current 2019 Payroll: $166.5M
Projected Arbitration Salaries: $45M

Extension Candidate:

Alex Wood (SP, 27)
Wood certainly didn't have a repeat campaign of his stellar 2017, but he was very solid across 27 starts and has done enough to show he should stick in this rotation going forward. WIth Ryu expected to walk in free agency, the time seems right to lock in Wood to a multi-year extension. The 27-year-old is eligible for arbitration one more time this winter, but carries a market valuation of $19.7M

Trade Candidate:

Yasiel Puig (OF, 27)
Puig has now posted back to back solid seasons after a few really shaky campaigns in LA. No, he's not the All-Star he was hyped to be coming out of the gate, but he can help a team both at the plate and in the outfield. He'll enter arbitation for the final time this winter, and there just seem to be too many mouths to feed on this Dodgers roster to justify keeping him at an increased price. He'll be one of the bigger names on the trade block if the Dodgers agree.

2019 Free Agents (12):

2019 Options (2):

Arbitration Eligible (14):

Colorado Rockies

Current 2019 Payroll: $86.4M
Projected Arbitration Salaries: $45M

Extension Candidate:

Nolan Arenado (3B, 27)
At some point you just have to give up and pay someone as much money as humanly possible to make sure they don't leave. That's the amount of leverage the Rockies have with Nolan Arenado now, who posted yet another 35+ doubles, 35+ homers, 100+ RBI, .900+ OPS campaign in 2018. Add in Gold Glove defense at the hot corner, and you have one of the elite players of our generation about to hi arbitration for the final time. He'll garner a salary north of $20M, but holds a valuation of $30.5M.

Trade Candidate:

Bryan Shaw (RP, 31), Jake McGee (RP, 32), Ian Desmond (1B/OF, 33)
Each of these players has significant years and dollars remaining on their deals, but are producing nowhere near to their respective value. This isn't a recipe for a good trade, but in the case of the Rockies, they need payroll relief in order to keep their superstars in house (Arenado, Story, Freeland). They'll need a good sales pitch, but at least one of these players needs to go this winter.

2019 Free Agents (7):

2019 Options (1):

Arbitration Eligible (8):

Arizona Diamondbacks

Current 2019 Payroll: $77.9M
Projected Arbitration Salaries: $51M

Extension Candidate:

Patrick Corbin (SP, 30)
Corbin posted a career-year in many regards in 2018, finishing with a 3.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 246 Ks & an 11-7 record for the D-Backs. He peaked in a contract year, and with Arizona possibly heading toward a rebuild, might be the top pitcher on the open market.

Trade Candidate:

Zack Greinke (SP, 35)
Greinke has posted back to back solid seasons with around 200 Ks, a 3.1 ERA, and a WHIP right around 1.0. He's still plenty capable of being a top of the rotation arm, but if Arizona decides to sell the farm this winter, his name will be atop the list. The problem? He's owed $104.5M through 2021.

2019 Free Agents (10):

2019 Options (2):

Arbitration Eligible (14):

San Francisco Giants

Current 2019 Payroll: $142.9M
Projected Arbitration Salaries: $17M

Extension Candidate:

Will Smith (RP, 29)
Middle relievers with an ability to finish games as well are all the rage these days, and Smith has shown he's more than capable over the past few seasons with the Brewers & now Giants. He projects to a 3 year contract near $30M heading into his final year of arbitration. The Giants already high payroll may delay this contract another offseason though.

Trade Candidate:

Joe Panik (2B, 27)
Panik's value was on the rise across 2016 & 2017, but took a bit of a dive in 2018, where he played just 100 games, racking up 14 doubiles ,4 homers, and a .254/.307/.332 split. He'll be arbitration eligible for the final time in 2019, and with Alen Hanson a capable, cheaper, option for the expensive Giants, could become a payroll casualty this winter.

2019 Free Agents (12):

2019 Options (2):

Arbitration Eligible (6):

San Diego Padres

Current 2019 Payroll: $51.8M
Projected Arbitration Salaries: $11M

Extension Candidate:

Freddy Galvis  (SS, 28)
Galvis will be seeking a long-term, $11M+ contract on the open market this winter. But if the offers aren't rolling in, he should consider staying in San Diego for another year or two. SS Fernando Tatis, Jr., the Padres top prospect, should be hitting the big leagues at some point in 2019, but having a familiar, productive, veteran presence to pair him with seems like a smart move for an already young squad.

Trade Candidate:

Austin Hedges (C, 25)
The Padres made a bit of a puzzling move when they shopped reliever Brad Hand to the Indians for their top catching prospect Francisco Mejia last summer. Having Hedges in the system already, it doesn't appear likely that both of these players will remain together long. At 22, and with more projected power, Mejia has the higher ceiling right now.

2019 Free Agents (8):

Arbitration Eligible (6):

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