Biggest trade questions for each NL West team

With the Draft in the rearview, MLB front offices can turn their attention fully to their current rosters. More specifically, to what they want to accomplish before the July 31 Trade Deadline.

The Deadline is almost seven weeks away, which means there’s still time for planning. Here’s a look at what each National League West team needs to determine before making those Deadline deals.

D-BACKS

The question: Is this team actually a contender?

Everything flows from this, and it’s not an easy question to answer. Every time the D-backs seem like they’re fading, they roar back. They have the NL’s third-best run differential, but they were 10 games out of first place in the division going into Wednesday.

Arizona has certainly outperformed nearly all external expectations after an offseason retooling that stopped short of a full-scale rebuild. But it’s still not clear that they’re in a position to part with future pieces in order to make a run this year. And if they were to fade over the coming weeks, they could at least listen on players like Greg Holland and Alex Avila, if not the large cadre of D-backs who could be free agents after next year.

DODGERS

The question: Just how much relief help do they need?

This team has been dominant, and barring something really surprising, they can use the Deadline season to set up their roster for the postseason rather than worrying about getting to October. That creates a different set of circumstances -- Andrew Friedman and Co. can think about tweaks around the margins. Maybe a bench bat, maybe a true center fielder.

And then there’s the bullpen. Kenley Jansen has been excellent (if maybe not quite as untouchable as earlier in his career), and they’ve gotten good work from Pedro Báez, among others, as well. But Joe Kelly is a mess, and it’s not at all clear they have the kind of bullpen depth needed to win the World Series. So the front office must spend the coming weeks determining whether they need a little help in the bullpen, or a lot.

GIANTS

The question: How big a seller will they be?

The Giants appear to be on their way to a third straight season well out of contention. With a new front office in place, it’s only reasonable to expect that they’ll do at least some strategic selling.

What the front office must decide is, how big a sell-off? It seems they’re serious about listening on Madison Bumgarner. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they parted with reliever or two. But is that the extent of it? Or will the renovations be more drastic?

Jeff Samardzija is enjoying his best year since 2016, and he’s signed for next year at a palatable $18 million. Brandon Belt has likewise enjoyed a bit of a resurgence, though his contract might be more daunting -- he's signed through 2021, his age-33 season. But the point is if they wanted to tear this all the way down, it’s an option. They must decide how far they want to go.

PADRES

The question: What do they want out of this year?

Much like the D-backs and Rockies, San Diego is in a weird spot: The division is basically a non-starter, but the Wild Card is at least in sight. The difference is that while Colorado is playing to win now, and Arizona is shifting on the fly, the Padres’ view is on the long term.

Still, championship windows don’t always open and close when you expect them to. So the front office must decide whether it will seize an opportunity, and bolster a thin rotation, or stay the course and keep its eyes on 2020 and beyond.

Of course, ideally they’d like to do both. If a controllable starter, someone who could help beyond just this year, became available, you can be sure the Padres would be very interested.

ROCKIES

The question: Is there enough starting pitching in-house?

Last year’s Rockies rode a superb rotation to the postseason. This year has been a different story. Kyle Freeland struggled so much he was sent to the Minors. Tyler Anderson appears to be out for the year. Chad Bettis has been moved to the bullpen. Jeff Hoffman hasn’t exactly run with the opportunity he’s been given.

The thing is, it’s entirely possible there’s still enough to make it work. Germán Márquez has been inconsistent, but has a huge upside. Jon Gray, likewise, has had ups and downs, but has the potential to be a front-of-rotation starter. No one would be shocked if Freeland got it together and came back strong. Rookie Peter Lambert has impressed.

It’s possible they have plenty of starting pitching. It’s also possible they need help. They have about six weeks to make that decision.