Padres News: The Padres Rotation Against The Rest of the NL West

 The Arizona Diamonbacks

A franchise that has overhauled their front office and team, but have received little to no recognition is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jeremy Hellickson and Josh Collmenter head up their rotation.

They are followed by Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa who were acquired via trade with the Boston Red Sox for Wade Miley. Also returning is Trevor Cahill, a veteran pitcher at the age of 27. Just seems like he has been around for ever.

Also competing for a spot is Vidal Nuno, who pitched very well the second half of 2014 after his acquisition from the New York Yankees, who posted a 3.76 ERA in 83 innings. Youngsters Randall Delgado and Chase Anderson also are slated to compete for a spot in the rotation.

That is basically eight guys for a rotation of five. Collmenter, Hellickson, and Cahill are most assuredly going to open the season in the rotation. That leaves the five remaining young pitchers to compete for the last three available spots. Also be sure to keep an eye on prospect Archie Bradley, who has ace stuff, but struggled last season. He will be given a long look this spring.

That is a good thing for the Diamondbacks, as they are assured to start the season with whomever is pitching well in Spring Training. It’s good to have selections to make, sometimes pitchers that are given a rotation spot instead of earning one, fail to put in a complete effort.

This rotation from top to bottom is nowhere near the San Diego Padres in terms of quality. Hellickson might turn out to be a great pick up and Collmenter is unorthodox, but effective. I like Nuno and Chase Anderson. The Diamondbacks will sneak up on some teams this season, but ultimately they are missing far too many pieces to compete in the end.

Never underestimate a team run by the likes of Tony La Russa (Chief Baseball Officer) and Dave Stewart (General Manager). They exude the winning way from their souls and can be great motivators. That is why I think this ball club can surprise some teams in the National League.