NL West

The division title has never looked like more of a formality, in that there’s really only one serious threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rule. They’re already managing Walker Buehler’s return with an eye toward October, and wisely accumulated pitching depth around him. … Still, don’t totally count out the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose addition of Eduardo Rodriguez to Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly gives them a legit contender look, markedly better than the 84-win team that toppled the Dodgers and Phillies on their way to the World Series. … Are the San Francisco Giants ever not a work in progress? The Jorge Soler add brings much-needed pop and the Robbie Ray trade expunges some regrets of past offseasons. Still, Ray and Alex Cobb’s returns from surgery probably need to go optimally if they’re to contend. … Whither the San Diego Padres? Five years of go-for-broke has now yielded a stars-and-scrubs squad where nine-figure All-Stars Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado and Fernando Jr. Tatis power the lineup, yet massive holes remain elsewhere. If the 1-2-3 of Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Michael King stay healthy, wild-card contention is possible … The Colorado Rockies are ticketed for a sixth consecutive fourth- or fifth-place finish.