MLB Power Rankings: Updated NL West hierarchy after Padres land Dylan Cease

After months of waiting, the San Diego Padres were the ultimate victors in the Dylan Cease sweepstakes. Several teams were rumored to be involved in the bidding but the team that arrived late in the process wound up landing the player. A.J. Preller pulled off yet another massive blockbuster.

It had been a difficult offseason for the Padres who wound up trading Juan Soto away to the Yankees with next offseason in mind. It was a tough pill to swallow for Padres fans after such a disappointing 2023 campaign, but acquiring Cease is a step in the right direction.

The Padres did not get him for cheap, but were able to land a cheap arm who comes with two years of team control. They might not be as formidable on paper as they were last season, but as they learned the hard way, the games are not played on paper. The Padres improved dramatically in the short term by acquiring Cease, and might have shaken up the NL West in the process. Here's how the five teams can be ranked now that San Diego landed the star right-hander.

5) The Rockies will finish in last place once again

The Colorado Rockies will finish in last place in the NL West for the third straight season and finish under .500 for the sixth year in a row. That was the case before the Cease trade, and remains the case after it.

There isn't much for Rockies fans to look forward to right now. Perhaps Nolan Jones has another huge year. Maybe this is the year Kris Bryant can stay healthy. Brendan Rodgers coming back should be fun. Justin Lawrence is always a fun watch out of the bullpen. What else is there really to look forward to?

We're sorry, Rockies fans. Not only is the roster lacking talent, but the NL West is one of the toughest divisions in baseball. It only got tougher with the Padres acquiring Cease. Just have fun playing at Coors Field 81 times.