In defeating the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers reclaimed sole possession of first place in the National League West. Moreover, their win officially eliminated the rival San Francisco Giants from postseason contention.
One year removed from posting a franchise-worst 64-98 record, the Giants opted to double down on their aging core rather than initiate a rebuild. The club swung deals for both Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen over the offseason as an effort to revamp their struggling lineup.
Despite their activity on the trade front, preseason projections didn’t buy into the notion that the Giants had significantly improved their roster heading into 2018.