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MLB Preview: National League East
NL Overview
The NL is obviously the weaker of the two leagues in baseball but there has been movement like that of the AL that has changed dynamics in the respective divisions. The most notable will be the change in the Central where I foresee a changing of the guard. Like the AL there should not be too much movement in the divisions other then the Central in my mind. The winners will be the Phillies out of the East, the Cubs out of the Central, and the Diamondbacks out of the West. As for the wild card this is where the battle will be as it always has in the NL. Perennial teams will be there to challenge for it. I would say, expect the Mets, Astros, Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants to be in the hunt deep into the season. Its tough to say but expect it to either be the Dodgers or the Mets this season with the edge going to the Mets. Playoff matchups should look like the Phillies and Mets, and the Cubs and the Diamondbacks. From there expect to see a Cubs and Phillies League Championship Series with the Phillies going to the World Series.
NL East Overview
Atlanta Braves
Braves fans should be happy with how their team has handled this offseason. With a slew of players on the block they managed to improve on a couple fronts. Two of the main areas of improvement are the bullpen and the outfield. These came with the additions of Juan Abreu, Melky Cabrera, Jesse Chavez, Troy Glaus, Eric Hinske, Scott Proctor, Rafael Soriano, Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner. The additions of Abreu, Chavez, Proctor, Soriano, Saito and Wagner will make a dramatic improvement to the Braves bullpen which last year was not as good as it had been expected to be. The additions of Cabrera, Glaus, and Hinske will help the braves bolster the starting lineups and provide bench depth incase the often injured Chipper Jones takes another spell during the season. These additions seem to cover to some extent the losses that the braves have suffered this offseason. The losses have included the departure of players like; Ryan Church, Adam LaRoche, Boone Logan, Mike Gonzalez, and Javier Vasquez. The most notable loss is easily that of Vasquez, which hurts the depth of their rotation, I feel though the bolstering of their bullpen will offset this loss. My prediction is 3rd in the NL East.
Florida Marlins
Marlins fans should worry this offseason, they have made few moves but they have not been in the aspect of improving the team. The marlins have lost big name talent and have done a poor job at replacing it. Additions are hardly worth mentioning and are futile compared to losses. They notably include Seth McClung and Jose Veras. Departures include; Brendan Donnelly, Ross Gload, Jeremy Hermida, Nick Johnson, Matt Lindstrom, and Scott Proctor. These moves have stripped the once effective yet not impressive bullpen and taken away from bench depth. On all fronts this seems to be a detraction for this team moving ahead and Marlins fans should expect a bleak season unless Hanley Ramirez instantly becomes a .390 AVG, 55 HR, 70 SB, 180 RBI hitter. Only their rotational depth and solid offence will keep them just ahead of Washington. My prediction is 4th in the NL East.
New York Mets
The Mets are a team that is always busy in the offseason as they try to measure up to their cross-town rivals. Often these attempts are in vain and this year like many others is just that way. The Mets did face the reality of the departure bug but losses were minimal. They included; Angel Berroa, Lance Broadway, J.J. Putz, and Brian Schneider. In terms of additions the Mets were also slim in adding big name new faces. They focused on returning players to the fold after last seasons injury laden season. Additions did bolster the OF and SP. Notable new faces include; Russ Adams, Jason Bay, Frank Catalanotto, R.A. Dickey, Josh Fogg, Luis Hernandez, Garry Mathews Jr., and Kelvim Escobar. Considering the injury riddled campaign last season where nearly the entire starting roster was on the DL I expect the Mets to be a much better team this season. The added depth should provide an insurance policy over another injury laden campaign. I do not expect them to take the division. My prediction is 2nd in the NL East.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philly fateful have a lot to be happy about this coming season with big moves that rocked not only the NL East but the AL East and AL West as well. Brass could say they finally got their man in adding Roy Halladay but it did come at a cost. A full list of notable departures include; Eric Bruntlett, Miguel Cairo, Pedro Feliz, Cliff Lee, Brett Myers, and Matt Stairs. Other not so known departures generally depleted the farm system that in my mind was not adequately replenished with what was returned for Cliff Lee. This should not diminish the good work that has been done in Philly this offseason as the team has improved. Key additions include; Juan Castro, Jose Contreras, Ross Gload, Freddy Guzman, Placido Polanco, Cody Ransom, Brian Schneider, Dewayne Wise, and obviously Roy Halladay. These players all add depth at their respective positions and will all contribute to a team that should easily take the NL East once again. My prediction is 1st in the NL East.
Washington Nationals
Nats fans should be happy with this off-season’s additions. Many of which have been made to improve the team. Like last season Nationals brass has concentrated on gaining veteran talent. Prior to discussing additions, departing players are some what a concern for Nationals faithful. They include Josh Bard, Austin Kearns, Jorge Sosa, Mike MacDougal, Julian Tavarez, Saul Rivera, and Dmitri Young. Although these players are a loss for the nationals many players are in decline in their career so their losses are not as much of a concern. Additions although not plentiful, included; Brian Bruney, Matt Capps, Adam Kennedy, Jason Marquis, Willy Tavares, and Ivan Rodriguez. This bolstering of depth will make Washington more competitive in the division but is just barely not enough in my mind to contend with that of Florida for fourth place. My prediction is 5th in the NL East.