Baseball players are getting ready for spring training (most pitchers and catchers have already arrived in Florida and Arizona). Now is a good time to take a look at the National League. Who had the best acquisitions and worst losses in the offseason and what are each team's strengths and weaknesses.
Atlanta Braves
First Full Squad Workout: Feb. 25
2011 record: 89-73, second place in the NL East
Manager: Fredi Gonzalez, second season
Key Questions: The Braves have some of the best young talent in baseball. SS Tyler Pastornicky takes over at 22. He has great speed but lacks experience. RF Jason Heyward struggled with shoulder woes and hit just .227 with 14 homers last year. He’s lost about 20 pounds and the Braves hope he can return to his rookie form.
Key Players: 1B Freddie Freeman hit 21 homers and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting to closer Craig Kimbrel (46 saves). 3B Chipper Jones (.275, 18, 70) underwent a scope on his knee. C Brian McCann (shldr) and OF Martin Prado (.260, 13, 57) struggled with injuries last year. P Julio Teheran went 15-3 with a 2.55 ERA in AAA and has a very live fastball.
Key Additions: none.
Key Subtractions: SS Alex Gonzalez (FA-Mil), RHP Derek Lowe (Trade-Cle), OF Nate McLouth (FA-PIt), LHP George Sherrill (FASea).
Miami Marlins
First Full Squad Workout: Feb. 27
2011 record: 72-90, third place in the NL East.
Manager: Ozzie Guillen, first full season.
Key Questions: The Marlins were one of the big winners in free agency in the off-season. Now the question is starting pitching. Carlos Zambrano is a talented pitcher, but a ticking time-bomb. His relationship with Ozzie Guillen could be combustible. He had a 4.82 ERA and just nine wins last year. Ace Josh Johnson is coming off shoulder and elbow problems that limited him to just 60 innings.
Key Players: RP Heath Bell (43 svs) takes over as closer from San Diego. SS Jose Reyes (.337, 41sbs) gives a speedy team even more speed. RF Mike Stanton hit 34 homers last year as a 21-year old. They also added LHP Mark Buehrle to solidify the rotation and give them a solid number two behind Johs Johnson.
Key Additions: RHP Heath Bell (FA-SD), LHP Mark Buehrle (FAChx), SS Jose Reyes (FA-NYM).
Key Subtractions: INF Jose Lopez (FA-Cle)
New York Mets
First Full Squad Workout: Feb. 27
2011 record: 77-85, fourth place in the NL East
Manager: Terry Collins, second season.
Key Questions: The Mets lose Jose Reyes and will move 2B Ruben Tejada over to shortstop. At right field, Lucas Duda (.292, 10HR) will try and fight off veteran Scott Hairston and rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis for the job. Pitching is shaky as Mike Pelfrey is coming 7-13 season.
Key Players: Andres Torres comes over from San Francisco in a deal for Angel Pagan. Torres is a good defender with limited experience. P Dillon Gee had a stellar rookie season with a 13-6 record. Johan Santana is the key as he’s coming back front shoulder surgery and hasn’t pitched in the major since 2010.
Key Additions: SS Ronny Cedeno (FA-Pit), RHP Fran Francisco (FA-Tor), RHP Jon Rauch (FA-Tor),
Key Subtractions: LHP Chris Capuano (FA-LAD), OF Angel Pagan (Trade-SF), SS Jose Reyes (FA-Mia),
Philadelphia Phillies
First Full Squad Workout: Feb. 13
2011 record: 102-60, first place in the NL East
Manager: Charlie Manuel eighth season
Key Questions: The Phils don’t have a lot of questions. But there is one at left field where they led Raul Ibanez walk. John Mayberry (15 homers, 267 at-bats) will battle Dominic Brown, a top prospect in the organization. RP Jose Contreras is trying to rebound from September elbow surgery.
Key Players: The Phils brought in closer Jon Papelbon and signed Chad Qualls to help the bullpen. SP Roy Oswalt is gone but they have incredible depth after Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee. Joe Blanton, Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick will vie for 4th and 5th starters. Ryan Howard is coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon on the final at-bat so his recovery might be slow. Howard hit 33 homers with 116 RBIs last year while hitting .253. He was the only Phillie to hit for 20 or more homers who is on the current roster.
Key Additions: OF Laynce Nix (FA-Was),P Jonathan Papelbon (FABos), OF Juan Pierre (FA-Chx), RHP Chad Qualls (FA-SD), 1B Jim Thome (FA-Cle), INF/OF Ty Wiggington (Trade-Col), P Dontrelle Wilis (FA-CIn)
Key Subtractions: RHP Brad Lidge (FA-Was), RHP Ryan Madson
(FA-Cin)
Washington Nationals
First Full Squad Workout: Feb. 25
2011 record: 80-82, fourth place in the NL East
Manager: Davey Johnson, first full season
Key Questions: The Nats have a decision to make with 19-year old OF Bryce Harper. He can run, throw and hit with power but can he do at the major league level? At first base, Adam LaRoche hit .172 before being shelved with a shoulder injury. in 2010, he hit 25
homers and drove in 100 runs. Start Chien Ming Wang is coming off shoulder surgery that cost him 2010 and showed some promise, going 4-3 and pitching well in his last three starts. Ace Stephen Strasburg will be limited to around 150 innings, which means he won’t be throwing complete games.
Key Players: The Nats really improved their pitching staff adding lefty Gio Gonzalez (16-12, 3.12) and RHP Edwin Jackson, who pitched with St. Louis and the Chicago White Sox last year. Jordan Zimmerman is an excellent fourth starter. OF Jayson Werth (.232, 20, 58) should bounce back after a terrible season for a guy who just made $126M. LF Michael Morse (.303, 31, 95) has become a masher all of a sudden in the middle of the lineup. 3B Ryan Zimmerman missed 61 games last year and his numbers showed (.289, 12, 49). When healthy, he’s one of the best third baseman in the game.
Key Additions: INF Mark DeRosa (FA-SF), LHP Gio Gonzalez (Trade-Was), P Edwin Jackson (FA-Stl).
Key Subtractions: OF Mike Cameron (retired), INF Matt Antonelli (FA-Bal), RHP Todd Coffey (FA-LAD)