A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:
San Francisco Giants
Manager: Bruce Bochy (seventh season).
2012: 94-68, first place, World Series champions.
Training Town: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Park: Scottsdale, Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 13/16.
He’s Here: OF Andres Torres, RHP Sandy Rosario, RHP Chad Gaudin, INF Tony Abreu.
He’s Outta Here: OF Melky Cabrera, RHP Brian Wilson, RHP Clay Hensley, C Eli Whiteside, 1B Aubrey Huff, RHP Guillermo Mota, OF Xavier Nady, INF Freddy Sanchez, INF Ryan Theriot.
Going campin’: The Giants brought back almost the entire crew that helped them win a second World Series title in three seasons, with players who accounted for more than 95 percent of the postseason at-bats and all but 1 2-3 innings pitched still on the roster. San Francisco rewarded older players such as NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro, OF Angel Pagan and LHP Jeremy Affeldt with lucrative contracts to return via free agency. The core of the team remains the starting pitching staff anchored by Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner, and NL MVP Buster Posey behind the plate. The big questions heading into 2013 are whether Sergio Romo can handle a full season as closer and two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum can return to form after struggling with an NL-worst 5.18 ERA that cost him a spot in the postseason rotation. Lincecum shined out of the bullpen in the postseason with a 2.55 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 2-3 innings, showing he still has plenty of life in his right arm.
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Los Angeles Dodgers
Manager: Don Mattingly (third season).
2012: 86-76, second place.
Training Town: Glendale, Ariz.
Park: Camelback Ranch.
First Workout: Feb. 13/16.
He’s Here: RHP Zack Greinke, LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, 2B-OF Skip Schumaker, LHP Rob Rasmussen, 2B Rusty Ryal, C Wilkin Castillo.
He’s Outta Here: OF Shane Victorino, RHP Joe Blanton, RHP Jon Ely, RF Bobby Abreu, LHP Randy Choate, RHP Jamey Wright, RHP Todd Coffey, C Matt Treanor, LF Juan Rivera, 2B Adam Kennedy, RHP Blake Hawksworth.
Going campin’: The new ownership group that includes Mark Walter, Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten will be in charge for its first full season after buying the team last May. The group opened its wallet last summer to acquire SS Hanley Ramirez, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Josh Beckett, LF Carl Crawford and RHP Brandon League. CF Matt Kemp is recovering from left shoulder surgery and Crawford, obtained in last season’s blockbuster trade with Boston, is recovering from the Tommy John surgery on his left elbow he had just before the deal. Kemp is expected to be ready by opening day, while Crawford could return by the start of camp. RF Andre Ethier signed an $85 million, five-year extension last summer, but rumors persist that the team might be willing to trade him. Ownership continued its spending spree with the offseason signings of Greinke and Ryu. Starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw (right hip inflammation) and Ted Lilly (left shoulder surgery) are both expected to be ready by spring training. Chad Billingsley (coming off a partially torn right elbow ligament) has begun throwing off a mound. If he’s healthy, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang or Lilly could find themselves left out of the rotation. Mark McGwire makes his Dodgers debut as the new hitting coach.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager: Kirk Gibson (third season).
2012: 81-81, third place.
Training Town: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Park: Salt River Fields.
First Workout: Feb. 12/15.
He’s Here: RHP Brandon McCarthy, 3B Martin Prado, OF Cody Ross, RHP Heath Bell, SS Cliff Pennington, 3B-1B Eric Chavez, 1B-OF Eric Hinske, LHP Tony Sipp, RHP Randall Delgado, SS Didi Gregorius, 1B Lars Anderson, LHP Matt Reynolds.
He’s Outta Here: RF Justin Upton, CF Chris Young, 3B Chris Johnson, RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Bryan Shaw.
Going campin’: General manager Kevin Towers lived up to his reputation as a wheeler-dealer this winter, pulling the trigger on several intriguing deals. Most notably, he sent Upton and Johnson to Atlanta for five players, a group led by the versatile Prado, a former All-Star who is penciled in as the everyday third baseman. Shortstop remains a question mark. The young Gregorius, acquired from Cincinnati in a three-team trade that sent Bauer to Cleveland, is considered spectacular in the field but uncertain at the plate. He is trying to make the club in competition with Pennington, Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald. The first four spots in the rotation appear set with Ian Kennedy, McCarthy, Wade Miley and Trevor Cahill. The spotlight will be on McCarthy, the former Oakland starter who is coming back after a line drive to the head threatened his career. There’s intense competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, with the leading candidates being Delgado – acquired in the Upton deal – and lefties Tyler Skaggs and Patrick Corbin. Towers and Gibson want a tougher, grittier squad, hence the additions of Ross and Prado. Speedy outfielder Adam Eaton, whose right hand was broken when he was hit by a pitch late last season, is in line to play center and bat leadoff unless he flops in spring training.
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San Diego Padres
Manager: Bud Black (seventh season).
2012: 76-86, fourth place.
Training Town: Peoria, Ariz.
Park: Peoria Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 13/16.
He’s Here: RHP Tyson Ross, RHP Freddy Garcia, RHP Fautino De Los Santos.
He’s Outta Here: RF Cory Burns, INF Andy Parrino, LHP Andrew Werner, RHP Micah Owings, RHP Dustin Moseley.
Going campin’: The Padres failed to make even one significant signing during the offseason and have been making news for mostly the wrong reasons. Young catcher Yasmani Grandal, who had a strong rookie season with a .297 average, eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 60 games, was suspended for the first 50 games of 2013 because of a positive test for testosterone. Grandal was also among a half-dozen players listed in records of a Florida clinic that the Miami New Times said sold performance-enhancing drugs. Hard-throwing RHP Andrew Cashner cut a tendon in his right thumb during a hunting accident, meaning he’ll probably start the season on the disabled list. Cashner was injured by a hunting partner while they were trimming a carcass. Pro golfer Phil Mickelson announced he was not going to buy a share of his hometown Padres as was previously believed. The new ownership group, comprised of members of the third generation of the O’Malley family, has so far kept a tight grip on its pocketbook after spending $800 million to buy the team. The biggest offseason move was re-signing RHP Jason Marquis to a $3 million, one-year deal. Otherwise, any increases in payroll will come mostly through arbitration. 3B Chase Headley’s big season netted him a $5.1 million raise. He and the Padres avoided salary arbitration by agreeing on an $8,575,000, one-year contract. Long touted as a future star, the 28-year-old Headley broke out with 31 home runs and an NL-best 115 RBIs last season, when he made $3,475,000. The switch-hitter batted .286 with a .376 on-base percentage and finished fifth in MVP voting while winning a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award. By the time Headley and the Padres return from spring training, the fences at Petco Park will be moved in.
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Colorado Rockies
Manager: Walt Weiss (first season).
2012: 64-98, fifth place.
Training Town: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Park: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
First Workout: Feb. 11/17.
He’s Here: RHP Wilton Lopez, 3B-1B Ryan Wheeler, C Yorvit Torrealba, RHP Chris Volstad, RHP Miguel Batista.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Jim Tracy, 1B Jason Giambi, RHP Alex White, RHP Guillermo Moscoso, RHP Josh Roenicke, LHP Matt Reynolds, LHP Jonathan Sanchez.
Going campin’: The Rockies made no splashy offseason moves to bolster a club that lost a franchise-record 98 games. Instead, they’re banking on the returns of lefty Jorge De La Rosa (elbow surgery) and All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (groin), along with a managerial switch. Colorado turns the controls over to Weiss, a former Rockies player who was coaching high school baseball at this time last year. Weiss takes over for Tracy, who stepped away, in part, because his responsibilities dwindled last season when Bill Geivett, the team’s director of major league operations, was given an office in the clubhouse and began focusing on roster management. Weiss, who has only a one-year deal, said he hopes to get his team to “play hard” and “play the game right,” the tenets of his career. The Rockies will again have Todd Helton and his stellar glove playing first base. Just how much they can rely on Helton is constantly a concern. The five-time All-Star is a lifetime .320 hitter, but batted a career-low .238 in 69 games before having season-ending surgery on Aug. 10 to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. He was recently arrested in a Denver suburb and charged with drunken driving. The Rockies also missed the leadership of Tulowitzki after he was sidelined in late May with a groin injury that eventually required surgery to remove scar tissue. Versatile outfielder Carlos Gonzalez had another solid season, hitting .303 with 22 homers. On the mound, the Rockies are hoping Jhoulys Chacin can emerge as an ace and that De La Rosa returns to form.
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