NL West Notes: CarGo, Padres, Dee, Arroyo, Cain, Dodgers

Another winter of trade speculation was no big deal to Carlos Gonzalez, as the Rockies star tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.  “Of course, it’s hard for…guys who’ve been with one organization for so long.  But I understand the process.  I’ve been traded twice, so it’s nothing new for me,” Gonzalez said.  Colorado’s lack of success has put Gonzalez in the middle of several trade rumors over the last few years, and that talk intensified when Troy Tulowitzki was dealt last summer.  So far, however, the Rockies have resisted pursuing a full rebuild.  Here’s some more from around the NL West…

• The Padres are “keeping some dry power” payroll-wise for midseason moves, team president/CEO Mike Dee told reporters (including Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune).  “(We will) see how the Major League season unfolds, and we could be a participant in an additive way in July if the team performs as we hope,” Dee said.  The Padres’ payroll projects to be roughly $8MM less than last year’s approximate $108MM Opening Day figure, and given how much ownership and the front office has already invested last winter, you would think they’d be open to making up that difference should a notable upgrade be available at the trade deadline.  Dee also stressed that “the overall investment this year when the season is over and the book is written will be significantly more than what was the investment in 2015,” in regards to how the Padres are planning to heavily spend in both the amateur draft and the international market.
• The Padres own six of the first 85 picks in the draft (including three of the first 26) and they’re known to be ready to exceed their spending pool limit in the upcoming international signing period.  In an online chat with Union-Tribune readers, Lin writes that though it may take a couple of years for this young talent to develop, general manager A.J. Preller “can’t afford to miss much this summer.  June and July could eventually play a large part in determining his fate as GM.”  Lin’s chat also contains several updates on Padres roster and position battles.
• With Brandon Crawford locked up in an extension, Giants shortstop prospect Christian Arroyo knows a position switch may be in his future, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes.  Arroyo cited second, third and the outfield as possible options, and “as far as moving positions, I’m open to anything. I want to help the team win.”  With Joe Panik and Matt Duffy covering second and third in San Francisco, however, this could be why Giants farm director Shane Turner said that “down the road, we’ve got to look at left field.”  The 2016 Baseball America Handbook described Arroyo as a probable “fringe-average defender at shortstop” due to a lack of range, so a position change could’ve been in the offing anyway.  Whatever his position, Arroyo’s accomplished bat has earned him some notice; BA lists him as the Giants’ top prospect and the game’s 62nd-best prospect overall.
• Giants righty Matt Cain had a cyst removed from his arm on Thursday and will be out of action for roughly the next week, though Bruce Bochy tells media (including MLB.com’s Chris Haft) that he thinks the setback shouldn’t cause Cain to miss any time in the regular season.  Though the cyst is a pretty minor issue, it marks yet another setback for Cain as he tries to rebound from two injury-plagued seasons.
• “Lots of options, little certainty” is how Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times describes the Dodgers’ outfield situation.  The club technically has a surplus in the outfield with Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernandez, Scott Van Slyke and Trayce Thompson all in the mix, though just about everyone on that list is questionable due to either injury history or inexperience.  Ethier is “the closest thing to a lock” of the seven, though he’ll be 34 on Opening Day and is rarely used against left-handed pitching.
• In other NL West news from earlier today, the Diamondbacks signed Rickie Weeks to a minor league deal.