1st. Arizona Diamondbacks Key Addition- Trevor Cahil. Key Loss- N/A—The D’Backs took baseball by surprise last year by winning the seemingly unpredictable NL West. There will be no sneaking up on anybody in 2012, and the division is looking more predictable than ever. The talented Diamondbacks only got better during the offseason, adding the underrated bat of Jason Kubel and 23 year old pitcher Trevor Cahil. Cahil, has shown flashes of greatness during his stay in Oakland and will certainly have an impact on the NL West division race. Kirk Gibson has this team in control of the division. Predicted Record 91-71
2nd. San Francisco Giants Key Addition-Melkey Cabrera. Key Loss- Carlos Beltran—Overall, 2011 was a season of disappointment for the 2010 World Series champions. With a still young, still dominant pitching staff, however, the Giants are still a force in the NL West. Some pieces from their championship team have left, and some new faces have arrived in the bay area. The versatile Melkey Cabrera could prove to be a huge factor in the Giants lineup, wherever Bruce Bochy decides to pencil him in. If the pieces can fit together for San Francisco, they could certainly be a competitor to try and take back the division from Arizona. Predicted Record- 89-73
3rd. Los Angeles Dodgers Key Addition- Aaron Harang. Key Loss- Jonathon Broxton—The Dodgers may have the two most talented players in the division, unfortunately, they don’t have the rest of the team to back them. Reigning cy young winner Clayton Kershaw continues to get better, and superstar Matt Kemp has developed into one of the game’s best hitters. While the dodgers may have a solid pitching rotation, their aging offense may not be able to string together enough runs to keep up in the NL West. A similar finish to 2011 seems likely for LA in 2012. Predicted Record – 84-78
4th. Colorado Rockies Key Addition- Key Addition- Marco Scutaro. Key Loss- Seth Smith—Colorado is a team full of aging players. While Carlos Gonzales and Troy Tulowitzki are still bright rising stars in the league, the majority of the roster is on the back 9 of their careers. Their pitching rotation has weakened and Colorado does not seem to have enough left to compete in the division. While the Rockies always seem to be a team that surprises people, 2012 does not seem to be a year to hold many surprised in this division. Colorado will not be able to keep up this season and 4th place seems to be the best they will finish. Predicted Record 74-88
5th. San Diego Padres Key Addition- Edinson Volquez. Key Loss- Heath Bell—The Padres had a major drop off in 2011 after being the surprise team of 2010. Mat Latos and Heath Bell have now gone, and the Padres stand to be in an even worse position than their disappointing 2011 campaign. Edinson Volquez has shown flashes of potential during his career in Cincinnati, and could put together a decent season in San Diego. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to help the Padres get back to where they want to be. Stay classy San Diego. Predicted Record 72-90