Dodgers: Sizing Up the NL West- Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks had a rather busy offseason as compared to most other teams in the league. They signed a ton of minor league deals and a few major league free agents. The team also made a trade to help fill a massive hole in the roster; a hole left by JD Martinez.

Martinez was acquired by the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline from the Tigers in the 2017 season. He joined the team and instantly made an impact hitting .302 with 29 home runs in the second half of the season alone. He was a monster against the Dodgers and piloted the team’s run to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

The power-hitting outfielder signed a five year deal with the Boston Red Sox earlier this week and left Shaquille O’Neal size shoes to fill.

Other losses this offseason include: infielder Brandon Drury, pitcher Anthony Banda, and in rather positive fashion, Fernando Rodney.

The JD Martinez loss was a big one but the D-backs front office was sure to make a few moves to soften the blow. Fist, the signed speedy outfielder and incredible defender, Jarrod Dyson, to a two-year contract. Dyson will bring league average hitting to the team but more importantly will bring his defensive prowess to the roster.

Second, the Diamondbacks participated in a three-team-trade that ultimately landed them Steven Souza. Souza was an under-the-radar stud in 2017. On the season he hit .239 but batting average is irrelevant when you can hit 30 home runs and he did just that. Souza had an OPS of 4.2 and an OPS+ of 121. The 28-year-old outfielder is a solid band-aid solution for JD Martinez’s departure.

On the pitching side, the Diamondbacks added righty Bradley Boxberger by trade and Japanese superstar reliever Yoshihisa Hirano. The two will join one of baseball’s best bullpens and make it even better.

Less notably, the team added Neftali Feliz, Antonio Bastardo, and Fernando Salas to minor league contracts. They also added a decent catcher in Alex Avila, to a major league deal that most people thought was too expensive.  

The Dbacks pitching staff, whether it be in the bullpen or the rotation, was incredible last year. The list of excellence goes on and on and makes picking just one pitcher to watch out for very difficult.

Before picking my one standout, I find it necessary recognize these excellent pitchers by name but, I will limit the list to the pitchers who were exceptional against the Dodgers. These players are Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke, Taijuan Walker, and Archie Bradley.

So, with those names no longer eligible for my pick, you may be left wondering who I will select. The answer may or may not surprised but I will be going with 34-year-old Japanese rookie, Yoshihisa Hirano.

Hirano has been fantastic in Japan since his debut at age 22. The righty’s success comes not from high-velocity pitches but rather in his unusual delivery.

Hirano throws the ball from a total submarine position. His knuckles pass just inches from the mound on his delivery making his 91 mph fastball almost impossible to pick up. He compliments that fastball with a nasty slider and an equally as devastating change-up.

Hirano was my pick purely because of the potential he has. If he lives up to the hype, the 34-year-old rookie could wreak havoc on Dodger batters who have never seen a pitcher like this before.

The Diamondbacks’ lineup has a lot of talent on it and a lot of players to choose from when scouting them against the Dodgers. The easy pick here would be their first baseman known in Los Angeles as the “Dodger Killer”, Paul Goldschmidt.

But, everyone knows what the All-Star Goldschmidt can do so I will go with a player Dodger fans and Diamondbacks fans have not seen very much of: Steven Souza.

Souza is a great addition to a D-backs team hurting for a good outfielder. He has power and plays very good defense but is a strikeout machine. Last year, Souza struck out a total of 179 times, almost three times as many as Justin Turner.

If Souza can make more consistent contact and reign in his swing a little more to reduce the K’s, he can easily become the next thorn in not only the Dodgers’ sides but for the rest of the NL West teams. Souza has the tools to be a very good outfielder and teams will need to figure out a way to neutralize his quickly.

The question on Souza will remain how much discipline he will learn and whether or not his number will translate nicely from The Trop to Chase Field.

The future is very bright for this rapidly improving Diamondbacks team. While their batting order took a hit, the front office did a nice job at damage control and may have done enough to patch the hole in the team.

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As much hole patching as they may have done, if the D-backs could not beat the Dodgers with JD Martinez I do not see them usurping the five-year champion Boys in Blue for the NL lead. Their roster did not improve rather it just hovered at the same level it was last year if not worsened.

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The Diamondbacks could easily have a shot at the wild card spot but they will need to make a few more moves to get them to the next level. The team of rapid improvement and newfound success is not yet ready to take the West.