Skip to content

2015 projected lineups/rotation: NL West

Matt Kartozian / USA TODAY Sports

The National League West has been the most active division in terms of player movement this offseason as four of the five teams have new general managers at the helm looking to make an impression. 

Here's a look at the projected lineups for teams in the NL West:

Related: AL Central
Related: NL Central
Related: NL East
Related: AL East
Related
: AL West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Newly minted GM Farhan Zaidi wasted no time reshaping the Dodgers roster despite the team coming off back-to-back division titles. Veterans Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick replace Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon in the middle infield, while Matt Kemp's departure passes the torch to highly touted prospect Joc Pederson in center field. The Dodgers will have a little more pop behind the plate with the acquisition of Yasmani Grandal, but A.J. Ellis will remain to catch Clayton Kershaw. 

Projected lineup: 

# POS PLAYER AVG/OBP/SLG
1 SS Jimmy Rollins* (S) .243/.323/.394
2 LF Carl Crawford (L) .300/.339/.429
3 RF Yasiel Puig .296/.382/.480
4 1B Adrian Gonzalez (L) .276/.335/.482
5 C Yasmani Grandal* (S) .225/.327/.401
6 2B Howie Kendrick* .293/.347/.397
7 CF Joc Pederson (L) (AAA) .303/.435/.582
8 3B Juan Uribe .311/.337/.440

While the top of the rotation remains one of the best in baseball, the Dodgers took a gamble on a pair of starters to fill out the back end. Los Angeles will hope Brandon McCarthy pitches like he did in the second half of last season with the New York Yankees (7-5, 2.89 ERA) rather than replicate the first half with the Arizona Diamondbacks (3-10, 5.01 ERA). Brett Anderson, who has pitched a combined 206 1/3 innings over the past four seasons, landed a one-year, $10 million deal. 

Projected rotation:

ROLE PLAYER IP ERA SO
1 Clayton Kershaw (L) 198.1 1.77 239
2 Zack Greinke 202.1 2.71 207
3 Hyun-Jin Ryu (L) 152 3.38 139
4 Brandon McCarthy* 200 4.05 175
5 Brett Anderson* (L) 43.1 2.91 29
CL Kenley Jansen 65.1 2.76 101

* added this offseason

San Diego Padres

Another new GM in the division, another offseason makeover. A.J. Preller was the busiest executive this December, remaking one of the worst offensive teams from a season ago by adding Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Derek Norris. Padres outfielders combined for 29 home runs last season, Upton had 29 home runs of his own. 

Projected lineup: 

# POS PLAYER AVG/OBP/SLG
1 RF Matt Kemp* .287/.346/.506
2 CF Wil Myers* .222/.294/.320
3 LF Justin Upton* .270/.342/.491
4 1B Yonder Alonso (L) .240/.285/.397
5 C Derek Norris* .270/.361/.403
6 2B Jedd Gyorko .210/.280/.333
7 3B Will Middlebrooks* .191/.256/.265
8 SS Alexi Amarista (L) .239/.286/.314

Much like the Dodgers, the Padres also took a chance on a pair of arms to fill out their rotation, but spent much less. Josh Johnson will get a second chance in San Diego after missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery, while highly talented but oft-injured Brandon Morrow has been limited to 87 2/3 innings over the past two years. The pair, however, is set to earn a combined $3 million guaranteed plus incentives – a significant discount when looking at what the Dodgers shelled out for Anderson. 

Projected rotation:

ROLE PLAYER IP ERA SO
1 Andrew Cashner 123.1 2.55 93
2 Tyson Ross 195.2 2.81 195
3 Ian Kennedy 201 3.63 207
4 Brandon Morrow* 33.1 5.67 30
5 Josh Johnson -- Tommy John --
CL Joaquin Benoit 54.1 1.49 64

* added this offseason

San Francisco Giants

The departure of Pablo Sandoval left the Giants scrambling to find a replacement at third base. After striking out on numerous targets, San Francisco finally settled on last season's NL Comeback Player of the Year in Casey McGehee, who manged four home runs in 616 at-bats while hitting into a major-league leading 31 double plays. 

Projected lineup: 

# POS PLAYER AVG/OBP/SLG
1 CF Angel Pagan (S) .300/.342/.389
2 2B Joe Panik (L) .305/.343/.368
3 C Buster Posey .311/.364/.490
4 RF Hunter Pence .277/.332/.445
5 1B Brandon Belt (L) .243/.306/.449
6 LF Gregor Blanco (L) .260/.333/.374
7 3B Casey McGehee* .287/.355/.357
8 SS Brandon Crawford (L) .246/.324/.389

After Madison Bumgarner, the Giants' rotation features no shortage of question marks. How much remains in 39-year-old Tim Hudson's tank? Can Matt Cain return to his All-Star form after two disappointing seasons? Was Jake Peavy's second-half performance an anomaly? Is Tim Lincecum's time as a starter coming to an end? The deck appears to be stacked against the World Series champs in 2015, but they only win a championship every second season anyway. 

Projected rotation:

ROLE PLAYER IP ERA SO
1 Madison Bumgarner (L) 217.1 2.98 219
2 Matt Cain 90.1 4.18 70
3 Tim Hudson 189.1 3.57 120
4 Jake Peavy 202.2 3.73 158
5 Tim Lincecum 155.2 4.74 134
CL Santiago Casilla 58.1 1.70 45

* added this offseason

Colorado Rockies

Projected lineup: 

The Rockies' lineup remains virtually untouched after a fourth straight losing season with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki having yet to be dealt despite unrelenting rumors of his departure. GM Jeff Bridich signed catcher Nick Hundley to a two-year deal and the veteran is expected to challenge incumbent Wilin Rosario, however, the Rockies said they have no intentions of trading Rosario unless they are overwhelmed. 

# POS PLAYER AVG/OBP/SLG
1 CF Charlie Blackmon (L) .288/.335/.440
2 RF Carlos Gonzalez (L) .238/.292/.431
3 SS Troy Tulowitzki .340/.432/.603
4 1B Justin Morneau (L) .319/.364/.496
5 3B Nolan Arenado .287/.328/.500
6 LF Corey Dickerson (L) .312/.364/.567
7 C Wilin Rosario .267/.305/.435
8 2B DJ LeMahieu .267/.315/.348

Colorado finished last in the majors in ERA and WHIP a season ago, thanks in large part to disappointing seasons from Jhoulys Chacin and Jorge De La Rosa. Chacin said earlier this offseason that he's highly motivated to put an underwhelming, injury-plagued year behind him and shouldn't be written off. Tyler Chatwood is expected to miss the majority of next season, if not all, after undergoing Tommy John surgery. 

Projected rotation:

ROLE PLAYER IP ERA SO
1 Jhoulys Chacin 63.1 5.4 42
2 Jorge De La Rosa (L) 184.1 4.1 139
3 Jordan Lyles 126.2 4.33 90
4 Tyler Matzek (L) 117.2 4.05 91
5 Eddie Butler (AA) 108 3.58 63
CL LaTroy Hawkins 54.1 3.31 32

* added this offseason

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks were the surprising winners of the Yasmany Tomas sweepstakes when they inked the Cuban to a six-year, $68.5 million deal, but that wasn't the only move first year GM Dave Stewart pulled this offseason. In addition to shipping shortstop Didi Gregorious to the New York Yankees, Stewart also shipped catcher Miguel Montero and the rest of his $40-million contract to the Chicago Cubs. The Tuffy Gosewisch era in the desert begins. 

Projected lineup: 

# POS PLAYER AVG/OBP/SLG
1 CF A.J. Pollock .302/.353/.498
2 LF David Peralta (L) .286/.320/.450
3 1B Paul Goldschmidt .300/.396/.542
4 RF Mark Trumbo .235/.293/.415
5 3B Yasmany Tomas* DNP
6 2B Aaron Hill .244/.287/.367
7 SS Chris Owings .261/.300/.406
8 C Tuffy Gosewisch .225/.242/.310

Arizona reworked its rotation with a slew of moves, acquiring Jeremy Hellickson from the Tampa Bay Rays and landing a pair of young arms in Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster from the Boston Red Sox for Wade Miley. Both Bronson Arroyo and Patrick Corbin are expected to return from Tommy John surgery. 

Projected rotation:

ROLE PLAYER IP ERA SO
1 Jeremy Hellickson* 63.2 4.52 54
2 Bronson Arroyo 86 4.08 47
3 Josh Collmenter 179.1 3.46 115
4 Patrick Corbin -- Tommy John --
5 Rubby De La Rosa* 101.2 4.43 74
CL Addison Reed 59.1 4.25 69

* added this offseason

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox