Right on time for an even-numbered year, the Giants are in position to take charge of the National League West. Some say they’ve done enough already, but a high-caliber outfield acquisition would nail it down.
Granted, this is the “on paper” portion of the show. Nothing ever gets settled in the Hot Stove League. Suffice it to say that the Giants are cookin’, while the Diamondbacks have shifted off the back burner and the Dodgers have gone cold turkey.
To address the opposition first: Arizona is a definite threat. A couple of familiar faces, chief executive Tony La Russa and general manager Dave Stewart, have set aside the future to win now, adding Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller to the rotation and boasting a high-scoring, aggressive lineup featuring Paul Goldschmidt, A.