1 hypothetical trade each NL West team should make

While the coronavirus pandemic has caused MLB to institute a roster freeze, theScore editors have dreamed up one hypothetical trade each team should make once business gets back to normal. Wrapping up the series is the NL West.

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers' major-league depth chart has no gaping holes. They have so many rotation options even with Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda gone that Tony Gonsolin will likely start the season in the bullpen and Dustin May could be in Triple-A.

The only real spot in need of an upgrade is the bullpen - specifically in the form of a left-handed reliever, considering Adam Kolarek is poised to be the only southpaw in the relief corps to open the season. Hand is probably the best lefty reliever who will realistically be on the market. Cleveland's closer is under contract through 2020 with a team option for 2021.

Will Smith is the catcher of the present and future in Los Angeles, so Ruiz has become expendable, and a trade would give Gonsolin a better opportunity to start. It makes sense for the Indians, too, since they're effectively exchanging a short-term asset for multiple years of control in the form of promising young players.

This may seem like a steep price for the Dodgers, but they're in "World Series or bust" territory, where a reliever of Hand's reliability (2.75 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in 298 innings since 2016) is worth the cost.

San Diego Padres

The Cubs need pitching help and the Padres have depth at the position. So why not leverage that depth to land arguably the best hitting catcher in the majors?

Contreras is under team control through 2022, so there would be no rush to extend him if the Padres wanted to make sure he was worth investing in first. The two-time All-Star is undoubtedly elite, but he has run into injury problems in recent years.

Lucchesi seems like a serviceable No. 3 or No. 4 starter, but the Padres likely want to form a juggernaut with a rotation built around Chris Paddack, MacKenzie Gore, Luis Patino, and Dinelson Lamet. That would make Lucchesi and Quantrill surplus to requirements. Meanwhile, it looks like Mejia might not have what it takes to stick behind the dish, as scouts once theorized.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Though the Red Sox are selling, it would still take a lot to lure Benintendi from their grasp. Landing him would likely mean taking on Eovaldi, who's owed $34 million beyond 2020, as a reclamation project. If any team has the motivation to do so, it's the team that is now run by Mike Hazen, the guy who was in Boston's front office when they drafted Benintendi.

The D-Backs have multiple weak spots, but they do seem to be on the cusp of competing again after an abbreviated rebuild, and putting Benintendi in the corner outfield to relegate Kole Calhoun to bench duties seems like a worthwhile upgrade. Though Robinson is an elite piece for Arizona to part with, the farm is replete with outfield prospects who could develop just as well or better.

The original reported deal that sent Mookie Betts to Los Angeles would have brought pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston. However, the reworked deal only involved hitting prospects after medical info on Graterol led the Red Sox to decide he'd likely be relegated to relief duties. Acquiring Widener from Arizona makes sense because he could have an immediate impact in Boston's rotation if necessary.

San Francisco Giants

Cueto is in an interesting position; he's a veteran who has been effective throughout his career, and with two years of control and an option for 2022, he's not simply a rental. Injuries limited him to 69 innings over the last two seasons, which could reduce the potential return.

Even so, the Giants may not wish to wait in case Cueto truly shows his years in his age-34 season. The Reds, already boasting an improved rotation, almost certainly wouldn't be willing to deal from the top of their prospect cache. Instead, the Giants could identify a package of lower-level prospects like this one.

Heatherly is a 21-year-old lefty with a nasty slider-curve combo and a fastball with plenty of zip. Antone, 26, is a now-or-never type who could contribute in Cueto's absence or eventually become a high-leverage reliever. Cotton has a fine hit tool and hasn't shown a propensity for striking out. If the Giants hit on even one of these options, the trade is worth it.

For Cueto, the deal would bring him back to where his MLB career started. He spent parts of eight seasons with the Reds before the Royals traded for him in 2015. He could be the last piece needed to push his former club over the top and into the postseason.

Colorado Rockies

Turnbull looked really sharp in spurts last season and could very well be an integral part of the Tigers' future. But Detroit has a glut of young pitchers on the verge of debuting and he may not fit into the franchise's long-term plans.

The Rockies, for their part, need to target pitchers with strong ground-ball tendencies. Turnbull posted a 48.3% grounder rate in 2019, 24th in the majors among pitchers who threw at least 100 innings. He punched out just under a batter per inning, which could stand to improve, but he's not prone to surrendering homers, and that quality would serve him well at Coors Field.

While Hampson has elite speed, he isn't a lock for everyday reps in Colorado despite his overall versatility. Brendan Rodgers is bound to get a crack at a starter's gig in the infield, and unless one of the big chips like Nolan Arenado or Charlie Blackmon gets dealt, Hampson will basically be a bench bat and pinch runner. Finally, Montano has been in the Rockies' system for years after signing as a 16-year-old in 2015 but hasn't lived up to expectations.