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A Look At The Offseason For The Rest Of The National League West

Samuel Cozart

By Samuel Cozart
in San Diego Padres Talk

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Samuel Cozart

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The 2025 offseason has been an eventful one for the San Diego Padres.

It started with the shocking resignation of Mike Shildt and the hiring of Craig Stammen. It has also featured the losses of star pitchers Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez, and most recently, the acquisition of sought-after Korean free agent Sung Mun Song. 

While the Padres have faced dramatic internal shifts this offseason, the remainder of the NL West is reshaping itself as well. Let’s take a look at San Diego’s divisional foes and how they stack up after notable additions and subtractions. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

The rich continue to get richer. To the dismay of the Friar Faithful, the Padres’ arch-rival took home its second consecutive World Series title in 2025. The bad news for San Diego is that the Dodgers’ offseason has indicated nothing other than another year as World Series favorites. 

The most notable move by Los Angeles this winter was the acquisition of All-Star closer Edwin Diaz. If the Dodgers had one weak link in the 2025 postseason, it was the bullpen’s struggle to close games. Now, bringing in one of Major League Baseball’s top closers makes them all the more deadly. 

The retirement of future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw will put a void in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, but their dominant starting rotation will have no concern filling his role. 

Here are notable additions and subtractions for the back-to-back champions this offseason, according to MLB:

Additions: 

  • Signed RP Edwin Diaz to a 3-year deal. 2025 WAR: 3.0 
  • Re-signed SS Miguel Rojas to a 1-year deal. 2025 WAR: 1.9

Subtractions: 

  • SP Clayton Kershaw (retired). 2025 WAR: 1.6

Still on the board: 

Excluding re-signings and counting all remaining free agents as subtractions, the WAR +/- of the Dodgers’ additions and subtractions still comes out to +2.4. Another offseason where the empire to the North gets stronger. 

San Francisco Giants 

Like the Padres, the Giants’ offseason started with a change in manager. After firing Bob Melvin, San Francisco made an unprecedented move, hiring Tony Vitello from the University of Tennessee, who has no former coaching experience at the professional level. 

Buster Posey is taking the team in a new direction at the top, aiming to keep the Giants in Postseason contention in 2026. The Giants’ moves mostly rely on reshaping their pitching staff. Here are those moves so far, according to MLB:

Additions: 

Subtractions: 

Still on the board: 

Even when counting all remaining free agents as subtractions, the Giants still have a WAR +/- of +5.5 in the offseason. A bolstered pitching staff should keep San Francisco afloat in the NL West in 2026. 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Two years removed from a Cinderella run to the World Series, the D-backs are trying to turn the tide back towards the postseason. Arizona has not played postseason ball since the 2023 World Series, finishing just outside of the NL Wild Card in consecutive years.

Like San Francisco, the Diamondbacks' offseason has focused on pitching reinforcement, notably bringing back Merrill Kelly just months after dealing him to Texas at the trade deadline. Zac Gallen, the club’s long-time ace, is currently testing the market, which would leave a hole in the rotation, but Arizona’s signings have prepared them for his departure. 

These are the Diamondbacks' moves this offseason, according to MLB: 

Additions: 

  • Signed SP Merrill Kelly to a 2-year deal. 2025 WAR: 2.9 
  • Signed SP Michael Soroka to a 1-year deal. 2025 WAR: 0.6 
  • Re-signed C James McCann to a 1-year deal. 2025 WAR: 1.0 

Subtractions: 

  • RP Kyle Backhus (traded to Philadelphia). 2025 WAR: -0.1 

Still on the board: 

  • SP Zac Gallen. 2025 WAR: 1.1 
  • RP Jalen Beeks. 2025 WAR: 0.9 

Excluding re-signings and counting all remaining free agents as subtractions, Arizona’s WAR +/- this offseason is +1.6. Although their moves have been marginal, the Diamondbacks are gearing themselves up for another year of postseason contention. 

Colorado Rockies

After a historically bad 2025 season and third-straight 100-loss season, the Rockies finally decided to make front office changes. Colorado hired analytics guru and Moneyball hero, Paul DePodesta, as President of Baseball Operations and hired former Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes as GM. 

The moves stop there. Despite the changes at the top, it has been another offseason of non-action for Colorado, being the only team yet to sign an MLB contract this winter. All signs point to German Marquez, their former ace, walking in free agency, but he has not been the same since receiving Tommy John surgery. 

Here are Colorado’s moves (or lack thereof) this offseason: 

Additions: 

  • None as of Dec. 27, 2025 

Subtractions: 

Still on the board: 

Somehow, if all of Colorado’s free agents sign elsewhere, they will gain 5.5 WAR in the offseason, without making any signings. If their inactivity doesn’t make it obvious, the Rockies have no plans of competing in 2026, but moves at the top of the organization could be the start of much-needed change for Colorado. 

Implications for the Padres

All signs point to another competitive season in the NL West for the Padres in 2026. The Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks have all made improvements at the margins this winter, making for another exciting year of baseball out west. 


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