NL West

One of the more important storylines in baseball this spring training is the health and bounce-back ability of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey.

Spring is a time of renewed growth, rebirth and rejuvenation. New blooms, new crops and new life are all a part of nature’s cycle.

Baseball is no different and no exception to the cycle of life, as teams, players and fans all look toward wiping the slate clean from last winter and beginning another season anew. The win-loss records are but replanted crops, ready to sprout; hitters’ batting averages and pitchers’ ERA records are newly sown. Most importantly, teams’ World Series aspirations are reseeded, ready to blossom throughout the summer.

Coming into the 2012 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to pitch their way back into relevance. Behind the dominance of Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, the consistency of Ted Lilly and the hopeful reemergence of Chad Billingsley, the Dodgers added two quality free agent starting pitchers this offseason.

In 2011, the Arizona Diamondbacks had their big breakout year. Their right-fielder also had his big breakout year in 2011 and looks poised to build on the season in which he finished 4th in the NL MVP voting. Justin Upton has finally put together the season that Diamondback fans have been waiting for since he was called up to the majors at the ripe age of 19. The 2012 season seems to be shaping into the "perfect storm" for the Dbacks superstar.

Last year, among all the messes that the Dodgers organization was dealing with, one of them was their closer. 

The Dodgers opened the season with Broxton, who failed badly.  Then they tried several replacements like Kenley Jansen and others.  When Jansen hit the DL, they brought up Javy Guerra, and the rest is history. 

While first base is generally considered among the deepest in all of fantasy sports, things have gotten even better with a recent influx of youngsters at the position.  Among those who have burst onto the scene is the Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt, who made the jump from Double-A to the Majors as a 23 year old (he turned 24 in September) and posted the following line:

After a horrifying moment last season on August 5, 2011, when Juan Nicasio's neck was broken after being hit in the temple with a line drive by Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals. Nicasio suffered a fractured skull and had bleeding on his brain from the impact of the liner.

Disclaimer: The following is an extremely biased, completely subjective view of the Giants/Phillies rivalry from the mind of a Giants fan.

Phillies fans, you probably shouldn’t read any further without first being aware that you will not like what is written. You will disagree, and will no doubt let me know what an idiot I am for writing this.

Which is fine.

I just want you to know what you’re getting yourselves into before you start.

Hey Giants fans, how about those trade-deadline deals? 

In 10 games with Carlos Beltran, the Giants are 2-8. They've scored an aggregate 23 runs—eight in one game, 15 in the other nine combined. 

Not exactly the energy boost GM Brian Sabean had hoped for.   

Three weeks ago, the San Francisco Giants sat multiple games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the NL West.

About two of every three games was a one-run contest, and they won a like ratio of those games. Taking about half of those remaining games was good enough to make a second-seed seem almost certain.