NL West: Who's buying, who's selling?

July 5th, 2018

The first quarter of the season brought chaos to the National League West. The second quarter brought a small bit of clarity to that chaos.
But make no mistake: the division remains entirely up for grabs. Here's a quick look at what we learned from each NL West team in the season's second quarter and how that might affect its plans for the upcoming Trade Deadline.
D-BACKS
What we've learned

After a rough May, the D-backs bounced back to go 19-9 in June, but they are still a hard team to figure out. Are they the April/June version that could easily win a division title? Are they the May version that struggled in every facet? In reality, they're probably somewhere in between.
But where exactly? Arizona's offense picked up after the sluggish May, but as of Tuesday, the D-backs were still last in the NL in batting average.
What they'll be hoping to accomplish in the trade market
General manager Mike Hazen said recently he wanted to see what the offense looked like when outfielders A.J. Pollock and Steven Souza Jr. returned from injury before he determined whether to pursue a bat or an arm. Arizona is in the mix for Manny Machado, but it might decide instead upon bullpen or rotation help.

Stock watch
Definitely buyers. The D-backs know their window to compete is closing with Pollock and approaching free agency this offseason and one year behind them.
DODGERS
What we've learned

The offense's revival -- and the emergence of -- shows that the Dodgers don't necessarily need Machado. But they do need relievers. More than one. They have four bullpen arms on the disabled list (Josh Fields, Tony Cingrani, and Tom Koehler), another on the Triple-A DL () and another active but sore ().
Ideally, Los Angeles would like to pull off a trade similar to the ones it made last season that helped the club land Cingrani and Tony Watson.

What they'll be hoping to accomplish in the trade market
The Dodgers don't have as many tradeable prospects as has been widely speculated. They also aren't going to exceed the luxury tax threshold. That's why the rumors of a deal for a Miami reliever (or two) seems more apt than the Machado speculation -- even as Machado has drawn the headlines.
Stock watch
Buyers. They're the Dodgers. Even when they're not buyers, they're still buyers.
GIANTS
What we've learned

The Giants have more pitching depth than even they probably imagined when the season began. Rookie starters and could help the organization for years to come, even if both are candidates to return to Triple-A when Jeff Samardzija and return from their respective injuries.
That probably makes it less likely that San Francisco will look to add pitching this month. If the Giants can get healthy, they'll have a nice mix of proven commodities and young talent.

What they'll be hoping to accomplish in the trade market
The Giants would love to get a big outfield bat. But they're so concerned with staying below the luxury tax that they might not make any moves. Under the current front office, that would qualify as something of a major surprise. In recent years, San Francisco has been one of the most active players at the Deadline.
Stock watch
Neither buyers nor sellers. If the Giants are going to make a postseason push, this is probably the squad they're going to do it with.
PADRES
What we've learned

The long-term offense is still an enigma. should anchor the middle of the lineup for a while. But there are question marks surrounding just about everyone else, including outfielder , who has missed time with three injuries this season.
The Padres have plenty of depth in the Minors, but it skews toward pitching. Come trade season, general manager A.J. Preller will look to add a young bat -- ideally one that's big league ready, or at least close.
What they'll be hoping to accomplish in the trade market
San Diego is looking to add value. The Padres have a number of trade chips, but most of them -- namely Brad Hand, and -- are under team control well into the future. Preller values his pieces highly, and he'll set his prices accordingly. There isn't an immediate need for any of them to be moved.

Stock watch
Sellers. Deadline deals have netted San Diego a number of its top prospects, including , the team's presumed shortstop of the future. This July, the Padres will be looking to add to an already loaded system.
ROCKIES
What we've learned

The season's second stanza bridged the gap between the Rockies' offense and their pitching. Things began to balance out. The rotation regressed and the bullpen struggled to hold leads, but they've shown some dramatic improvement of late.
Meanwhile, the slow-starting offense has turned a corner. has established himself as a certifiable NL MVP Award candidate. Several other key contributors -- namely DJ LeMahieu, , and Chris Iannetta -- began to find success.

What they'll be hoping to accomplish in the trade market
Teams have begun sniffing around Colorado's roster, hoping it might part with LeMahieu, Gonzalez, Parra and maybe a reliever or two. But the Rockies are wondering why those scavengers are buzzing. For the time being, they're not selling.
Stock watch
TBD -- could be buyers, could be sellers. Colorado is hovering around .500 and, thus, hovering around contention. The next couple of weeks should push general manager Jeff Bridich in one direction or another.