Friday was a busy day in the NL West. Or, really, Friday night and early Saturday morning. First, the Los Angeles Dodgers re-upped slugger Teoscar Hernández to a three-year deal worth $66 million. That was one of those obvious moves that was a great fit for the team and a great fit for the player. It took a little longer to get done than I expected, but it got done, and that’s all that matters.
Then, in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, the Arizona Diamondbacks landed the offseason’s top free agent pitcher, agreeing to a six-year contract worth $210 million with Corbin Burnes. The deal includes an opt out after 2026. Burnes makes his home in Arizona and his wife gave birth to twins in July. A new contract close to home is a pretty excellent outcome for the right-hander.
This past season the D-backs missed the postseason because they came out on the wrong end of a three-team tie with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. They don’t want that to happen again, hence the Burnes signing. The Dodgers are, of course, the defending World Series champs. The NL West is shaping up to be one of the game’s most grueling divisions in 2025.
With that in mind, let’s take stock of the NL West and where each of…
