To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL West division title, earning bragging rights among their division rival for the 12th time in the last 13 years. Granted, the Dodgers weren't quite as dominant as many anticipated after another ridiculous offseason, but the end result was the same.
At this point, until they're dethroned, nobody should believe anything should change in the NL West, but an active offseason from Los Angeles' biggest rivals could, potentially, result in a new division winner at long last. These moves could lead to a real shake-up in this uber-competitive division.
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Colorado Rockies: Sign Zach Eflin, I guess?
Let me make two things abundantly clear. First, the Colorado Rockies will not win the NL West in 2026. Is it okay if I say that in October? I think they'll be a little better - they can't be much worse - but a jump from one of the worst teams in modern MLB history to NL West champions is beyond unrealistic. Second, the Rockies are not going to go nuts in this year's offseason. They'll seek some bargain deals, but they'll likely be out of the running when it comes to the big names.
Given that, I'm going to list signing Zach Eflin as the task the Rockies should look to acquire. Eflin won't make them much better, but he'd at least provide some sort of veteran stability in a horrific rotation.
This wouldn't have seemed realistic entering the 2025 campaign, but Eflin was limited to just 14 starts after missing substantial time with injuries, and he had. 5.93 ERA in those appearances. The durability concerns are real, but Eflin had a 3.59 ERA in 28 starts in 2024 and a 3.50 ERA in 31 starts in 2023. When healthy, he's a decent innings-eater who can keep the. ball on the ground and do a solid job suppressing hard contact. He'll be looking to rebuild his value, and while pitching in Colorado is obviously risky, but if he can pitch even remotely well, that'd go a long way. Eflin should only be looking for a one-year deal, and that's the kind of deal the Rockies can offer.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Sign Devin Williams
For a second straight season, the Arizona Diamondbacks finished in the top six in the majors in runs scored and missed the playoffs. Pitching held them back in 2024, and pitching held them back once again in 2025. Because of that, the Diamondbacks must act aggressively to improve their pitching as much as they realistically can.
The Diamondbacks need help both in their rotation and bullpen, but I think their bullpen is in worse shape than their rotation, somehow. Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk will both miss the start of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, and it remains to be seen when or even if they'll be able to return. With those fireballers on the shelf, who is their best reliever? Kevin Ginkel? Ryan Thompson? Andrew Saalfrank? Yeah, the Diamondbacks need a guy if they plan on closing out victories, and Devin Williams can help.
Yes, this season was the worst of Devin Williams' career by far, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, he went from the small-market Milwaukee Brewers to the New York Yankees - that's a very difficult adjustment to make. Second, he started to look like the Devin Williams of old down the stretch.
The right-hander allowed four runs in his first September appearance, but allowed no runs on five hits with 12 strikeouts in his next nine appearances and nine innings of work. In the postseason, he threw 3.2 scoreless innings across four appearances. He was brilliant when the Yankees needed him most, giving hope that he can return to his elite form as the closer for a new team like the Diamondbacks in 2026. He shouldn't cost too much coming off a down year, and makes too much sense for Arizona.
It's a long shot, but if the pitching steps up and their offense remains elite, why can't they make things interesting in the NL West?
San Francisco Giants: Sign Kyle Tucker
The San Francisco Giants aggressively pursued a postseason berth by giving a massive contract to Willy Adames over the offseason, and they doubled down on that aggression by trading for Rafael Devers out of nowhere midseason. Despite those blockbuster moves, the Giants not only missed the playoffs, but they were even sellers at the trade deadline. The team underperformed - it's that simple.
For the Giants to get back to October, they should keep the pedal on the gas and sign Kyle Tucker, the best free agent available. Doing that is easier said than done, but the Giants have shown a willingness to spend on superstars before. Tucker's season didn't exactly end as he had planned, but he was an MVP candidate in the first half and despite his lackluster second half and some injury woes, ranked 26th among all qualified position players with 4.6 fWAR and tied for 14th with a 136 wRC+.
If that's what Tucker can do with a poor finish, the Giants should want him desperately. He's a bonafide superstar, and while his fit as a left-handed hitter might be a bit questionable at Oracle Park, the Giants won't be able to find a more talented player in this year's free agency class than Tucker. Spend the money and reap the benefits, Buster Posey.
Tucker alone likely won't spring the Giants ahead of the Dodgers, but he'd certainly help bridge a lot of the gap that currently exists between these two arch-rivals.
San Diego Padres: Re-sign Michael King
The San Diego Padres need more offensive firepower and will always be looking to bolster their already elite bullpen, but they need to worry about their rotation. Both Michael King and Dylan Cease, two of their best starters, are likely going to hit free agency, assuming King rejects his $15 million mutual option. That is a problem. If the Padres are going to overtake the Dodgers, they're going to have to make sure that Yu Darvish isn't their No. 2 starter behind Nick Pivetta.
Cease is likely going to command nine figures and should get those demands met, making it unlikely that the Padres will pony up the money to re-sign him. As for Michael King, though, perhaps San Diego can get him at a discounted rate. King has proven that he's a really good starter in this league, but after a brilliant 30-start campaign in 2024, he was limited to only 15 starts in 2025, and he saw his ERA in those starts increase by half a run.
I have no doubt that King is closer to the sub-3.00 ERA guy than the 3.44 ERA guy he was in 2025, but can he stay healthy? The cash-strapped Padres, with a lot of areas to address, will likely have to take that gamble rather than pursuing Cease or even guys like Ranger Suarez or Framber Valdez.
King has tremendous upside and shouldn't cost quite as much as other frontline arms, opening the door for the Padres to address their offense. If they can improve their offense, particularly in the power department, while also re-signing King, they've got a legitimate shot of overtaking Los Angeles. They only finished 3.0 games back this season anyway.