The offseason is over. Well… Sort of.
Free agents like Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn and Mike Moustakas still remain, but much of the dust has settled as the season comes closer. And this offseason was indeed an eventful one for the N.L. East. Long story short: two teams got better, two got worse, and one stayed about the same.
The biggest headline this division saw in the offseason was the exodus of talent that took place in Miami, which should benefit the four other teams in the division this offseason, especially the Mets, who went 7-12 against the Marlins last year. Outside of that, some under-the-radar moves have definitely shaken up the composition of the division this year.
So let’s cut to the chase. Here are the NL East offseason standings:
Philadelphia Phillies
Key additions: 1B Carlos Santana, RP Tommy Hunter, RP Pat Neshek, RP Francisco Rodriguez, 3B Will Middlebrooks
Key losses: OF Daniel Nava, OF Hyun Soo Kim
The Phillies made the biggest individual divisional splash this offseason when they signed Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million contract. Santana is one of the best on-base guys in the game, with a .249/.365/.445 lifetime slash.
He’ll bring some firepower to a Phillies lineup that finished 12th in the NL in runs scored last year. The signings of Tommy Hunter (2.61 ERA) and Pat Neshek (1.59 ERA) also make for a vastly improved bullpen.
These additions will pair well with a young crop of talent, including Rhys Hoskins, Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez and Aaron Nola. The Phillies won’t be contenders this season, although they’re clearly moving in the right direction. And early signals indicate that they will be very active in free agency next year, which could give them a full-fledged path to contention. This will be the last year of the Phillies rebuild.
New York Mets
Key additions: RP Anthony Swarzak, OF Jay Bruce, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, 3B Todd Frazier, SP Jason Vargas
Key losses: 1B Lucas Duda, RP Addison Reed, 2B Neil Walker, OF Curtis Granderson
The Mets didn’t make one major splash, but they made several nice ripples that should improve the team substantially from last year’s 92-loss debacle.
Todd Frazier should end the Mets’ revolving door at third base. Nobody seemed to be able to hold the job on a consistent basis last season, but this should change with someone who has played at least 147 games there every year since 2013. Jason Vargas will fill in the Bartolo Colon role that was badly missed last season; that is, a reliable veteran starter capable of eating innings. This should both provide the Mets with injury insurance and put less stress on the bullpen, which was way overtaxed last season.
Bringing back Jay Bruce will also keep the Mets with a solid outfield. And if Adrian Gonzalez can bounce back this year, the Mets will be big trouble for opposing teams. If they stay healthy, and that’s a big if, they could contend for a Wild Card spot this season. Maybe even the division.
Washington Nationals
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
Can you name five players on the Marlins?
Okay, if you read this site, then you probably can. But that probably wasn’t too easy, was it?