Arizona Diamondbacks: contenders in NL West again?
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Madison Bumgarner to a five year deal on Sunday, but does he put them over the top in the NL West?
The Arizona Diamondbacks were one of the mystery teams this winter. After trading Zack Greinke you didn’t really know what direction they were headed in because they still had a lot of talent on the roster. And all they did was improve it with the addition of Madison Bumgarner.
Bumgarner was not predicted to go to the Arizona Diamondbacks by anyone, and their interest only really sped up in the recent days. But the big question is if this will make them contenders in the National League West in 2020.
The answer is no, at least for the division. But they always seem to be in contention for the second Wild Card spot in recent years and I don’t see why they can’t do the same this year with a true ace at the top of their rotation.
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They have a very underrated infield with Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, Nick Ahmed, and Jake Lamb with Eduardo Escobar as well. David Peralta has been talked about as a trade possibility, but he is one of the most consistent hitters in the game.
If Archie Bradley can anchor the back of the bullpen next season as he did in 2018, then the D-backs have the ability to contend, but the only problem is the competition in their own division and across the National League.
While the American League is top-heavy, the National League has so many teams that can contend for a Wild Card spot if they don’t get the division.
The San Diego Padres are looking to win this coming year, the Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs are going to be fighting for a playoff spot along with the Cincinnati Reds. So, therefore, the Diamondbacks aren’t going to be able to have the Wild Card all to themselves.
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With that said, I do believe the Diamondbacks improved their club in a big way with Madison Bumgarner, but there is too much competition in the NL for me to truly believe that they will contend the whole season.