MLB Power Rankings: Updated NL West hierarchy after Padres land Dylan Cease
4) The Giants have more work to do after the Padres acquired Dylan Cease
The battle for third in the NL West should be an interesting one between the San Francisco Giants and the Padres. The Giants improved their offense following a disappointing 79-83 season by signing Jorge Soler, Matt Chapman, and Jung Hoo Lee, but their rotation is just a mess right now.
Logan Webb is one of the best pitchers in the National League, but what's after him? Kyle Harrison is promising, but unproven. Jordan Hicks is an excellent reliever, but how will he be in the rotation? With Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray set to begin the year on the IL, who is rounding out that rotation?
If the Giants sign one of Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery it'd be a game-changer. The back end of the bullpen is strong, the lineup is improved, and Bob Melvin is the new manager. They simply need to improve their rotation to solidify themselves as a frontrunner for one of the NL Wild Card spots.
3) The Padres jump to third place in the NL West after winning the Dylan Cease sweepstakes
The Padres were another team in desperate need of rotation help and they got it in the form of Dylan Cease. Now, San Diego has Cease joined by Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Michael King. Their rotation can be quite good if everything clicks.
Everyone is writing off the Padres offense with Juan Soto no longer there, but there's still a ton of talent on this roster. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth are all former All-Stars. Ha-Seong Kim is coming off an excellent year. Jackson Merrill is expected to make his MLB debut and is one of the top prospects in the league for a reason. Their offense can be good.
Losing as much as they lost this offseason is going to hurt, but the Padres have the pieces in place to still be competitive if everything clicks. Adding Cease helps immensely, as he's a durable innings eater with Cy Young potential. Perhaps getting away from the White Sox and onto a more functional team can allow him to bounce back coming off a down year.