The San Diego Padres deserve plenty of credit for their aggressive offseason moves but the Los Angeles Dodgers are far and away the team to beat in the National League West. Let’s analyze the win totals for 2015.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Over 71.5 -120/Under 71.5 -110
It was an ugly end for the Diamondbacks and manager Kirk Gibson, who departed after a disastrous 64-98 season in which it was implied that he was calling for his pitchers to head hunt. Chip Hale arrives as manager of this mess that must be fixed by new general manager Dave Stewart. Stewart raised some eyebrows when he said the D-Backs would be a true baseball team rather than a haven for analytics nerds. Even if Paul Goldschmidt returns to form there is nothing here to get excited about. Plenty of good seats will be available in Phoenix this year. UNDER 71.5 wins is the call.
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Colorado Rockies: Over 71.5 -110/Under 71.5 -120
The pitching rotation remains one of the worst in the game and new general manager Jeff Bridich will be tasked with fixing that over the long haul. The fact that the singing of right hander Kyle Kendrick is big news illustrates the problem. Troy Tulowitzki remains the face of the franchise and has MVP ability but the inability to stay healthy. The lineup offers little in the way of relief from the bad pitching. Colorado was a disgraceful 21-60 on the road because of their poorly and awkwardly constructed team, and little was done to change that. UNDER 71.5 wins is the call.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Over 91.5 -125/Under 91.5 -105
The problem with the Dodgers is that they do not offer much in the way of betting value as one of the most high-profile publicly hyped teams on the board. They are also Las Vegas’ team which makes their value questionable at all times, even with the mega payroll team that they boast now. Yet the price is one that may have to be paid. New president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi had a busy offseason that was highlighted by the trade of Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres for catcher Yasmani Grandal, and right hand pitchers Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin. The Dodgers spent big money on right hander Wieland and left hander Brett Anderson to fill the four and five slots. Rookie center fielder Joc Pederson will be under an intense spotlight, as the Dodgers cleared out veterans such as Kemp to make room for him in the lineup. Second baseman Enrique Hernandez and shortstop Jimmy Rollins make for a vastly improved middle infield. Add all of that with the best pitcher in the game, Clayton Kershaw, and you have to give in. This is one time we’ll go with the hype and lay the chalk. OVER 91.5 wins is the call.
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San Diego Padres: Over 84.5 -102/Under 84.5 -119
New general manager A.J. Preller won the Hot Stove League title for San Diego. The Padres made a splash with several huge offseason moves that include the arrival of outfielder Matt Kemp, catcher Tim Federowicz, number one right hand starter James Shields, outfielder Wil Myers, and outfielder Justin Upton. Kemp remains something of a question due to past injuries but did close strong in the second half of last season. Myers has been something of a China Doll and has not lived up to the hype. The outfield should improve run production but is a defensive liability. Pitching remains a strength but there are too many new parts that need to gel. The buzz is great, but the reality is that Kemp and Myers may not be all that. We’ll oppose the public and call for UNDER 84.5 wins.
San Francisco Giants: Over 83.5 +111/Under 83.5 -134
It was a relatively quiet offseason for the defending World Series champions. They did nothing in the way of improving themselves as a team that barely made the playoffs last year after falling below the .500 mark in 2013. With Buster Posey and Hunter Pence, the lineup remains formidable but the starting rotation lacks quality depth. This is a stock that will decline in value. UNDER 83.5 wins is the call.
