NL East Preview

NEW YORK METS – Two years in a row, Mets fans have endured the same story – a fallible bullpen has eradicated any hopes the team (and its fans) had of a playoff appearance.

So what did GM Omar Minaya do? He went out and signed the best reliever available, who just so happened to have set a record for most saves in a season.

Francisco Rodriguez, fresh off his record 62-save season as a member of the Angels, will help anchor the bullpen that has caused fans countless woes in recent years. As though his end-game dominance wasn’t enough, the team also traded for J.J. Putz to serve as K-Rod’s set-up man.

Though arriving with less glamour than Rodriguez, Putz may in fact be more dominant than the man he is setting up for. In his last full season as a closer (he missed time in 2008 due to an injury), Putz was 40 of 41 in save opportunities and posted a ridiculous 1.38 ERA, 0.70 WHIP (Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched) and .153 batting average against. As good as K-Rod’s numbers have been, his career bests don’t come anywhere close to any of those numbers.

Adding these two dominant relievers to the team essentially shortens each game the play to seven innings. If the Mets are able to develop a lead and hold it through seven, there’s a very high possibility that these two will be able to ensure that things stay that way.

As Yankees fans know, two dependable relievers available nearly every day takes the tension out of pressured situations at the end of important games. Considering this was the Mets’ primary weakness last season, the fact that they were able to dramatically improve this area suggests that this may be the year for the Mets to finally make the jump to the playoffs.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES – They just won the World Series! How could they not be favored to win the division again?

Their projected second-place finish isn’t a dig against the Phillies but instead more of a testament to how improved the Mets are. Also, the Phillies haven’t actively improved their roster this off-season.

Pat Burrell, who had played all nine of his professional seasons with the team prior to this year, left the World Champions and signed a two-year contract with the World Series runner-up Tampa Bay Rays. Though the team won’t miss his .252 batting average, his 33 home runs definitely helped in the middle of the Phillies’ lineup.

In an effort to replace him, the team signed Raul Ibanez to a three-year deal. Though he arrives without much hype – primarily due to his time spent playing in Seattle and Kansas City for 13 years – he may in fact be better than Burrell. He has hit 20 or more home runs in each of the past four seasons but has also driven in over 100 runs each of the past three years and done so with a .288 average.

By comparison, over the last four years, Burrell hit 27 more home runs (124 to 97) but drove in 32 less runs (427 to 395) and hit 27 points less (.261), all while playing on a far better team overall.

With Ibanez being a more than adequate replacement for Burrell, Phillies fans should not expect a recession at all. However, due primarily to the fact that the Mets so dramatically improved their weakest point, the Phillies will probably need to fight for the Wild Card if they are to make the playoffs in an effort to defend their title.

ATLANTA BRAVES – The Braves have seen their own share of ups and downs this off-season. Though the team lost John Smoltz – who had played his entire 21-year career with the organization – they were able to replace him with Derek Lowe. Though this may not seem like an adequate replacement at first, keep in mind that Lowe is six years younger and has pitched close to – though not as well as – Smoltz over the past four seasons.

Since Lowe signed with the Dodgers before the 2005 season, he is 54-48 with a 3.59 ERA. Smoltz’s record in the same timeframe is far superior (47-26) but his ERA is comparable: 3.20. Lowe looks even better by comparison when health is examined; Lowe has made at least 32 starts in each season he has been a starter (since 2002). Smoltz, on the other hand, made only five starts last season before being placed on the DL. After being re-activated and making one relief appearance (a blown save), he had to be put on the DL again for the rest of the season.

Smoltz’s health last season was a major reason why the team failed to reach .500 for only the second time since 1986. Another main factor was the extremely poor play of outfielder Jeff Francoeur. After putting up good numbers during his first two and a half years in the majors, Francoeur struggled last season, hitting only .239 with a career low 11 home runs. This season, it would be hard for him to play any worse, so anything he does will be an improvement on last season.

Francoeur doesn’t need to be the focal point of their lineup, however. Alongside perennial All-Star Chipper Jones and the team’s young and talented catcher, Brian McCann, Francoeur can be a complimentary piece in the offense. The team even added more lineup help by recently signing Garret Anderson to a one-year deal. Anderson, a career .293 hitter, will be able to lend veteran leadership and a consistent bat in the middle of the team’s order.

Though the Braves should not be expected to make a run at the division, there is an outside shot they could challenge for the Wild Card if things go their way. A combination of new players – and improved seasons by players already on the roster – might be enough to make this team a contender.

FLORIDA MARLINS – The Marlins have probably done the least in the division in terms of trying to improve last year’s ballclub. They finished 84-77 last year, but after failing to make any significant moves (and seeing their division rivals each improve in one way or another), it will be hard to mirror that feat this season.

One thing that can be said about the team is that it has one of the most talented young players in the league: Hanley Ramirez. A career .308 hitter with 40/40 potential, Ramirez was elected to his first All-Star Game (of many to come) last season. Having signed a six-year contract before last season, Ramirez will be the cornerstone of the franchise until at least 2014.

Other than Hanley, the Marlins have several other players who will help the Marlins make another run at a winning record this season. Second baseman Dan Uggla hit 32 home runs last season after getting off to a dismal start, and sophomore outfielder Cameron Maybin will only improve on the raw talents he showed last season.

Perhaps the strongest and most promising element of the Marlins team is their rotation. Anchored by Josh Johnson, who went 7-1 last season after missing the first two-thirds of the season due to injury, their rotation is stocked with arms that have tremendous upside. Guys like Andrew Miller and Anibal Sanchez have the potential to be front-end starters several years from now, so being able to develop their skills on a team with no real expectations will be exactly what they need.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS – For the first time in several years – perhaps since they moved from Montreal – Nationals fans have a team they can begin to get excited about. This is especially important after considering the Nats led the league in losses last year with 102.

While not much was going right for the team last year, they did have some promising young players. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has the potential to turn into one of the best young players in the league, but neither his sophomore season or last year’s campaign were as good as his rookie season.

Lastings Milledge, who was acquired from the Mets in exchange for Ryan Church before last year, led the team in home runs, RBIs and stolen bases last year, and only has room to improve. Fellow outfielder Elijah Dukes, who was added halfway through last year, has talent that is only matched by his unpredictable nature. If he’s able to tap into his fullest abilities without letting his craziness take over, the Nationals could have one of the best and youngest outfields in the league.

This year, the Nationals added even more pieces to their (slowly) developing equation: Adam Dunn and Daniel Cabrera. Neither of these players are going to put them over the top and suddenly make them a playoff contender. However, by signing these guys, the Nationals are essentially saying that they’re no longer willing to accept losing and are instead willing to do something to change it.

To expect the Nationals to climb out of the basement this year would be expecting far too much. However, look for them to lose less than 100 games, which will at least be an improvement on last year’s abysmal efforts.