There was a point in time when the National League West looked like the most competitive division in all of baseball. Last offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks spent big on Corbin Burnes, the San Francisco Giants nabbed Willy Adames, and although the San Diego Padres had a quieter offseason, they emptied their farm system at the trade deadline. None of it mattered as the Los Angeles Dodgers won their second consecutive World Series.
The Dodgers weren’t wire-to-wire dominant in 2025. There were some hiccups, some trials and tribulations, and some disappointments. However, when it mattered most, LA turned it on and got the job done.
The question now is, are we about to see a renewed arms race in the NL West, or after watching the Dodgers hoist the last two Commissioner’s Trophies and three out of the last six, has the rest of the division finally surrendered and accepted its fate? The answer seems pretty clear.
The Dodgers’ dominance plus their latest free-agent thievery may have finally convinced the NL West to surrender
At the general manager meetings, Brandon Gomes downplayed the team’s needs and made it sound as if the club was going to be uncharacteristically passive this winter. That led to some consternation, especially given the state of the bullpen, which threatened to torpedo any chances of a three-peat immediately, if not addressed.
Thankfully, that was a smoke screen. Not only have the Dodgers not been sitting on the sidelines, but they went out and got the biggest possible upgrade for the ailing bullpen, stealing away Edwin Diaz from the New York Mets.
The rumors continue to swirl, and there’s a good chance that Los Angeles isn’t done, but that move alone might have the white flags being raised in Arizona, San Diego, and San Francisco (along with the perpetual white flag in Colorado).
See, the Diamondbacks are in bad shape. They won’t have Corbin Burnes this year following his Tommy John surgery, and they might not have Ketel Marte either. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, they entered the Winter Meetings believing they’d keep Marte, but left feeling as if a deal was inevitable. They did re-sign Merrill Kelly to a two-year, $40 million contract, but we’re just not sure how much that moves the needle at this moment.
Next, you have the Padres. They’ve already lost Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez, and Michael King is likely on his way out, too. Their deadline maneuverings left them with a barren farm system, and their ownership is embroiled in a power struggle, with financial woes having them considering selling the team. And, of course, they’re reportedly in trade talks with the Mets, and players like Nick Pivetta, Mason Miller, Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon have been floated.
Lastly, there’s the Giants. They’re a little harder to figure out because they are involved in some rumors for top players, but one also has to wonder how much more payroll they can take on. They have hefty deals already on the books for Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Logan Webb, and others, yet they’re still a long way away from being on par with the Dodgers talent-wise. A report also came out that they wouldn’t be shopping at the top of the market.
Therefore, it’s questionable whether or not they’d have the appetite to spend what is necessary to get into the same stratosphere as Los Angeles, or, if they’d prefer an early surrender, as it seems the rest of their division brethren are preparing.
All of this isn’t to say that the Dodgers should take their foot off the gas, but they’re on the verge of putting some real distance between themselves and the rest of the NL West, and that will make 2026 a much more relaxing affair.
