MLB Online Betting NL West Hot Stove Preview

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a payroll that went over $300 million in 2015, even though they only made it to the National League Division Series as MLB online betting fans might recall. They already have $154.8 million in commitments for the 2016 season and a lot of that is dead money. So that’s a factor.

Inside Scoop on the MLB Online Betting NL West Hot Stove Preview

.@Dodgers extend $15.8M qualifying offers to RHP Zack Greinke, LHP Brett Anderson, INF Howie Kendrick. pic.twitter.com/cjpKnPfEVA

— MLB (@MLB) November 6, 2015

They also have to decide what to do with Zack Greinke, who opted out of the last three years of his six-year contract, leaving $71 million on the table so he can get another long-term deal that pays him more per season. Given the fact that he had a 1.66 ERA, the best since 1995, you can’t blame him. That’s why the Dodgers gave him a qualifying offer. The team does need to fill needs in the bullpen and the rotation, as well as second base, with Chase Utley likely out the door.The San Francisco Giants are bidding goodbye to long-time reliever Jeremy Affeldt and Tim Hudson, who are both retiring. Tim Lincecum is a free agent who has struggled for four seasons in a row. He underwent surgery on his left hip, and if the Giants do bring him back, it will be for a lot less than the $35 million he raked in the past two seasons. Mike Leake is likely to stay on in the rotation, but the Giants didn’t extend him a qualifying offer. Matt Cain has only made 26 starts in the past two seasons, so it looks like the team needs to rebuild their rotation around Jake Peavy and Madison Bumgarner. That (and left field) are the major gaps.The Arizona Diamondbacks picked up Jarrod Saltalamacchia when the Miami Marlins oddly released him a month into the season a year ago. Salty is an average hitter, and he doesn’t frame pitches that well, but someone will pick him up because the Marlins are still on the hook for most of his $8 million 2016 salary. The D’backs really need to focus on building their rotation. John Lackey and Mike Leake could be solid additions to the Arizona rotation.The San Diego Padres need to decide what to do with Justin Upton. That was a neat trade, but now Upton will likely pull in a nine-figure contract, which the Padres generally don’t issue. Ian Kennedy received a qualifying offer from the Padres that will reduce his value on the open market. Arizona needs a left-handed bat and a quality shortstop in addition to pitchers who can eat up innings in the back end of the rotation.First baseman Justin Morneau is the biggest free agent on the Colorado Rockies’ roster. He won the NL batting title in 2014, batting .319, but a concussion in 2015 kept him out for 3 ½ months. The Rockies have bought him out and will use Ben Paulsen in that spot. They need pitchers in their rotation, and they need a better solution behind the plate.