National League West Second Half Preview

Los Angeles Dodgers

There's not much to say about this team, except, I don't know how Joe Torre does it. I wrote him off as a manager that walked into success with the Yankees and that he would be nothing more than "Clueless Joe" that he was before his run in New York. Let me proudly say, I'm eating a heaping pile of crow right now. He's a great manager and is certainly getting the best out of his players.

I expect nothing less in the second half of the season that the Dodgers didn't do in the first half of the season. They survived a 50 game suspension from their best player and still have the best record in baseball and a 7 game lead in their division. I expect an absolutely HUGE second half from Manny Ramirez, to make up for his embarrassment. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier will continue to rake the ball at the pace they have been. Orlando Hudson has been a terrific addition to the team as well. To put it bluntly, their offense is phenomenal and their pitching staff is great, so there's not much they need. But, thanks to the Joe Torre book on ruining bullpen arms, they could use a little more relief in that pen. Belisario already has his arm dangling by a thread and I fear Jonathan Broxton may not be too far behind. If they suffer any more injuries to their bullpen, it could be dire consequences out in La La Land.

San Francisco Giants

You're winning the wildcard Giants fans. That's all your second half preview needs to tell you. Tim Lincecum is becoming one of the best. In San Francisco he's like a Messiah on the Mound. The 1, 2 punch that Lincecum and Matt Cain pose for the Giants, make them a dangerous team to face at any time, whether its regular season or post-season. The Giants are almost assured victories on 2 out of every 5 days. Last week, Jonathan Sanchez pitches a no hitter and would've had a perfect game if Juan Uribe knew how to catch a groundball. Barry Zito isn't as bad as he used to be. Suddenly things in San Francisco are looking a bit more cheerful!

On the downside of things, your offense is horrible. You need an Aubrey Huff or a Freddy Sanchez just to provide a little more support. But, I doubt it will matter much, because hey, you're riding high with Lince and Cain. Enjoy it while you can, because you don't know when it will end. Needless to say, the Giants are going to win plenty of games in the second half and mark my words, they will make the NL West a race. I doubt they'll catch the Dodgers, but they will make them sweat a little bit. You just wait and see.

Keep the Giants in mind as a dark horse candidate to land Roy Halladay. Can you imagine that rotation in a 7 game series? (bear in mind, I'd expect the Giants to give up Matt Cain to get him)

Colorado Rockies

While the Rockies certainly have a couple useful trading chips they could part with (Huston Street and Garrett Atkins), I don't see them being sellers at the deadline. They are 47 - 41 and are right in the middle of the Wild Card race. Granted being 9 games out of the division makes it seem extremely unlikely they could challenge the Dodgers, the Wild Card is certainly within their reach.

The Rockies offense is nothing to slouch at, with Brad Hawpe, a resurrected Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki leading the charge. They can score runs with the best of them. Their pitching is nothing to scoff at either. The surprising success of Jason Marquis, coupled with the expected emergence of Ubaldo Jimenez (who is much better than his 6 - 9 record will dictate) and the usual respectable stats from Aaron Cook has definitely put the Rockies on the map. With Huston Street at the back end of the bullpen seeing himself revert back to his old self, has certainly been a breath of fresh air for Colorado. If anything, I see the Rockies as buyers at the deadline, to see if they can put forth another second half charge, reminiscent of their World Series run from a few years ago. Look for the Rox to try and add another arm, both in their bullpen and their rotation.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks currently find themselves near the cellar of the National League West, a 38 - 51 record and sitting an un-impressive 18.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Obviously, this is not a team that is poised for a second half run that would lead them to the division, or even wild card races. Their season has been over since mid-May. But, the Diamondbacks are certainly a team to watch in the next two weeks, with the trade deadline fast approaching. The Diamondbacks find themselves in the position of being one of the few teams to realize their playoff hopes are eliminated and are a prime candidate to be a major seller on the trade market.

Offensively, their biggest trade chip would seem to be second baseman Felipe Lopez, who is having an impressive season, batting a career best .302 with 6 home runs and 46 runs batted in. While Lopez doesn't figure to be the same offensive presence he was when he hit 23 home runs as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in 2005, he is still only 29 years old and is only due $3.5 million this season. He could be a good pick-up for a team such as the Chicago Cubs or even the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (if they think that the Howie Kendrick/Maicer Izturis combination isn't working out).

On the mound is where the Diamondbacks figure to be the most active. While their staff ace Dan Haren is relatively untouchable (I think he could be had for the right deal; think 5 or 6 major league ready talents), two other members of their rotation could be valuable back end of the rotation guys for teams in the thick of the playoff hunt. Former White Sox and Angels pitcher Jon Garland is struggling mightily this season posting a 5 - 8 record with a 4.53 era, but, he has pitched extremely well as of late and has the credentials of posting back to back 18 win seasons with the White Sox and has a World Series ring to boot.

In addition to him, the Diamondbacks could also part ways with lefty Doug Davis. While there have been rumblings that the Brewers were looking to re-acquire the southpaws services, no deal has materialized as of yet. Unlike Garland, Davis has pitched considerably well, posting a 3.41 era despite his 4 - 9 record to show for it. Davis isn't a flashy pitcher who will blow a lot of balls past hitters, but will instead attack the zone and induce countless ground balls. He will also save your bullpen on most days, having pitched at least 6 innings in 13 of his 19 starts.

Arizona closer Chad Qualls could also be dangled as trade bait for any number of teams to possibly acquire as a valuable cog to fix any leaky bullpens. Qualls has saved 16 games in 20 opportunities and has impeccable control, only allowing 5 walks to date this season in 37.1 innings. Teams such as the Yankees, Rays, Tigers, Angels and Marlins could call the Diamondbacks to inquire about his services.

San Diego Padres

The Padres, like the Pirates are just bad. 36 - 52, 20 games out of first place. It'll be a long time before the Padres are competitive again. The only thing Padres fans have to look forward to for the second half of the season, is the day it ends.

Your best player is Adrian Gonzalez, and he has a cast of mediocre players surrounding him. You tried trading Jake Peavy to the White Sox, he turned the deal down and promptly got hurt. You'll surely trade him in the off-season. Heath Bell, the lone star of your pitching staff will be lucky to make it 2 more weeks with your team. I don't see anything good coming for you. Well, I mean, I guess the weather is nice in San Diego?