How NL West corner infielders stack up for '20

When you look at the corner-infield positions in the National League West, there are plenty of familiar names -- Nolan Arenado, Justin Turner, Manny Machado and Brandon Belt just to name a few.

With the start of Spring Training less than four weeks away, some teams in the division are still sorting out exactly who will man their corner spots. Arenado publicly airing his frustration with the Rockies has also clouded the picture in Colorado somewhat.

• NL West position-by-position: Middle infield | Catcher

Keeping all that in mind, we did our best to see how the corner-infield spots are likely to shake out and how they stack up:

The best

Dodgers
One of the reasons the Dodgers have won seven straight NL West titles is their depth, and they certainly have it at the corner positions. As the roster stands, the Dodgers have a starting infield with three past All-Stars (third baseman Justin Turner, shortstop Corey Seager and first baseman Max Muncy) and a possible future All-Star (rookie second baseman Gavin Lux). So, why an unsuccessful attempt to sign third baseman Anthony Rendon and rumors of trading for third baseman Kris Bryant or shortstop Francisco Lindor? Turner has volunteered to move to first base, Seager isn’t as patient at the plate as management would like and he’s had major injuries. The simple solution is for everybody to slide over -- Muncy to second, Lux to short, Seager to third and Turner to first. Of course, the Dodgers rarely do things the simple way. Seager’s resistance to a move complicates things. Regardless of which alignment they use, the Dodgers have the best corner infielders in the West.

The rest (in alphabetical order)

D-backs
The D-backs featured one of the better corner-infield pairs in the division last year, thanks to a career year at the plate by third baseman Eduardo Escobar and a breakout rookie campaign by first baseman Christian Walker, who replaced the departed Paul Goldschmidt. This year, Walker will be the starter at first, but what happens at third is still to be determined. The D-backs would like for Escobar to play there, but he might be needed at second so Jake Lamb can get the bulk of the playing time at third. Arizona has some young players in the system like Josh Rojas and Andy Young (No. 23 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), who could challenge at third, while Kevin Cron (No. 26) and Seth Beer (No. 4) are in the pipeline at first base.

Giants
San Francisco will enter the 2020 season with two veterans entrenched at the corner-infield spots. Brandon Belt is projected to return to man first base, and it will be interesting to see if the Giants will be able to wring more production out of him now that they’ve overhauled their coaching staff. Belt recorded a 98 OPS+ in 2019, the lowest mark of his career, but he led the team in on-base percentage and has drawn praise from new manager Gabe Kapler for his approach at the plate. Evan Longoria remains under contract for the next three seasons, so he’ll be back at third base and should provide solid production on both sides of the ball. The Giants will need a backup corner infielder to replace Pablo Sandoval, who underwent Tommy John surgery in September and is now a free agent, but they have some internal options, including Zach Green and Cristhian Adames, both of whom will be in camp as non-roster invitees this spring.

Padres
The Padres have spent $444 million on their corner infield in the past two offseasons. Suffice it to say, the production hasn’t matched the dollar value just yet. Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado have mostly under-performed their contracts since arriving in San Diego. And while there’s plenty of optimism that Machado will bounce back, Hosmer remains a serious question mark at first base. He owns a .728 OPS in two seasons with the Padres, and his struggles against lefties have been so pronounced, it’s worth wondering whether the Padres would consider a platoon. Righties Ty France and Wil Myers are likely to back up Hosmer (while also playing elsewhere). In the Minors, No. 10 prospect Hudson Potts has his path blocked to the big leagues by Hosmer and Machado, which could make him an intriguing trade chip.

Rockies
With seven straight Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards at third, Nolan Arenado alone carries a lot of weight in this comparison. Beyond his 41 home runs and 118 RBIs in 2019, his batting average and on-base percentage were career highs -- signs he is getting better. The Rockies could have given the Dodgers a run for the top spot at the corners had first baseman Daniel Murphy had a season more in line with his career. If he returns healthy, he would provide a big boost to the lineup. Second baseman Ryan McMahon, who showed power last year in his first full Major League season, can move to either position, if necessary. With Murphy in the final year of his deal, the Rockies will keep a close eye on a nice list of prospects as possible heir apparents. Colton Welker is a third baseman who has some experience at first, and the MLB Pipeline's Nos. 8, 9 and 10-ranked prospects at first base are the Rockies’ Michael Toglia, Grant Lavigne and Tyler Nevin (who is on the Major League 40-man roster).