Capsules of National League teams, listed in order of finish last year:
EAST
Philadelphia Phillies
2008: 92-70, first place, World Series champions.
Manager: Charlie Manuel (fifth season).
He’s Here: LF Raul Ibanez, RHP Chan Ho Park, C Ronny Paulino, INF Marcus Giles, INF Miguel Cairo, RHP Gary Majewski, OF John Mayberry Jr.
He’s Outta Here: LF Pat Burrell, OF So Taguchi, OF Greg Golson, RHP Tom Gordon, RHP Rudy Seanez.
Projected Lineup: SS Jimmy Rollins (.277, 11 HRs, 59 RBIs, 47 steals), CF Shane Victorino (.293, 14, 58, 36 SB), 2B Chase Utley (.292, 33, 104), 1B Ryan Howard (.251, 48, 146), LF Raul Ibanez (.293, 23, 110 with Seattle), RF Jayson Werth (.273, 24, 67, 20 SB), 3B Pedro Feliz (.249, 14, 58), C Carlos Ruiz (.219, 4, 31).
es), LH Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71), LH J.A. Happ (1-0, 3.69; 8-7, 3.60 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley), RH Chan Ho Park (4-4, 3.40 in 54 games/5 starts with Dodgers) or RH Kyle Kendrick (11-9, 5.49).
Key Relievers: RH Brad Lidge (2-0, 1.95, 48/48 saves including postseason), RH Ryan Madson (4-2, 3.05 in 76 games), LH J.C. Romero (4-4, 2.75 in 81 games), LH Scott Eyre (2-0, 7.15 in 19 games with Cubs, 3-0, 1.88 in 19 games with Phillies).
ation. Carrasco probably needs another season in the minors. Chris Coste, who became a fan favorite after finally making it to the majors as a 33-year-old rookie, is battling Paulino for the backup catching job behind Ruiz. Coste was nagged by injuries in spring training, but Paulino hasn’t showed much at the plate. Giles, Cairo and Mayberry have a shot to make the roster as a much-needed righty bat off the bench. The Phillies already have three lefties on the bench in Greg Dobbs, Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs. Coste could figure into this spot, but he lacks the speed and versatility others have.
Stat Sheet: The Phillies finished second in the NL in runs with 762 and led with 214 homers, but only hit .255. Ibanez should help raise the overall average as will having Utley, Rollins and Feliz healthy. The bullpen had an NL-best 3.19 ERA last season.
ive championships since the Reds in the mid-1970s. With almost every starter returning, the Phillies have a chance to do it. Ibanez replaces the departed Burrell, and Park adds to an already deep pitching staff. Having Rollins, Utley and Feliz healthy and Hamels and Howard satisfied – both got multiyear deals in the offseason – only helps. Hamels had minor elbow problems in spring training, but should be fine. If not, he’s irreplaceable. Lidge is also a huge key, coming off a perfect season. The division got better, so the Phillies need a strong start to avoid needing a late comeback to surpass the New York Mets as they’ve done the last two years.
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New York Mets
2008: 89-73, second place.
Manager: Jerry Manuel (first full season).
He’s Here: RHP Francisco Rodriguez, RHP J.J. Putz, RHP Livan Hernandez, RHP Sean Green, OF Jeremy Reed, INF Alex Cora, RHP Tim Redding, RHP Freddy Garcia, OF Bobby Kielty, RHP Darren O’Day, OF Cory Sullivan.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Pedro Martinez, RHP Joe Smith, RHP Aaron Heilman, RHP Duaner Sanchez, LHP Scott Schoeneweis, OF Endy Chavez, 2B Damion Easley, RHP Luis Ayala, LF Moises Alou, RHP Claudio Vargas, LHP Ricardo Rincon, RHP Matt Wise, OF Trot Nixon, RHP Orlando Hernandez.
best 204 hits, major league-leading 19 3Bs, .358 OBP, 17 errors), 2B Luis Castillo (.245, 3, 28, 17 SBs, 11 extra-base hits in 87 games), 3B David Wright (.302, 33, 124, 42 2Bs, 115 runs, 15 SBs, .534 SLG), 1B Carlos Delgado (.271, 38, 115, .518 SLG), CF Carlos Beltran (.284, 27, 112, 40 2Bs, 25 SBs, 116 runs, .500 SLG), LF Daniel Murphy (.313, 2, 17, .397 OBP in 49 games and 131 ABs after August call-up), RF Ryan Church (.276, 12, 49 in 90 games), C Brian Schneider (.257, 9, 38 in 110 games).
Rotation: LH Johan Santana (16-7, major league-best 2.53 ERA, 206 Ks, NL-high 234 1-3 IP in 34 starts), RH Mike Pelfrey (13-11, 3.72, 200 2-3 IP, 12 homers allowed in 32 starts), LH Oliver Perez (10-7, 4.22, 180 Ks, 194 IP in 34 starts), RH John Maine (10-8, 4.18 in 25 starts), RH Livan Hernandez (13-11, 6.05, 180 IP in 31 starts with Minnesota and Colorado).
Triple-A).
Hot Spots: Second base and No. 5 starter. The Mets desperately want Castillo to rebound from a poor year and regain his old form on offense and defense. He was bothered by nagging injuries and nightly boos last season, the first of his $25 million, four-year contract. But he’s looked better this spring, with more life in his legs. Manuel made a concerted effort to get Castillo going, giving him chances to bat leadoff early in camp. Though he’s a slap hitter with little pop, Castillo is patient at the plate and has been able to get on base consistently throughout most of his career. New York would prefer to keep him near the top of the order because that lengthens the lineup. But if he slumps again, adjustments will have to follow and Cora could challenge for playing time. … Hernandez was signed to a minor league contract at the beginning of camp and appears to have won the final spot in the rotation. While he pitched effectively, his competition didn’t. Garcia struggled mightily, Redding got hurt and 22-year-old prospect Jonathon Niese was optioned to the minors for more seasoning. But it’s hard to say how much Hernandez has left in his durable right arm as he enters his 14th major league campaign. He gave up a whopping 257 hits last year.
New York had 29 blown saves in 72 chances last season, including an NL-high 16 after the All-Star break. The team’s 4.25 bullpen ERA ranked 13th in the National League. And if all games ended after the sixth or seventh inning, the Mets would have won the NL East by a wide margin. Instead, the bullpen meltdown led to their second straight September collapse – both began with 17 games remaining. So with All-Star closer Billy Wagner expected to miss the 2009 season following elbow surgery, the Mets overhauled their relief corps, highlighted by the additions of Rodriguez and Putz. … Out of baseball from 2004-05, Fernando Tatis became quite a comeback story last year. Called up from the minors in May, he batted .297 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs in 92 games before separating his shoulder in September. This season, Manuel envisions the 34-year-old Tatis as a super sub who can spell Church, Murphy and even Delgado against left-handed pitching. He might give Wright an occasional rest at third, too.
etup role in New York. Barring injuries, the back of the bullpen should be a major strength, though the Mets declined to upgrade the offense for their first season in $800 million Citi Field. Keep an eye on Church, who struggled to come back from his second concussion last year. Delgado was inept until late June last year and then unstoppable the rest of the way. Which player will he be this season? The rotation looks fine on paper, but Maine is coming off September surgery to shave a bone spur in his pitching shoulder and has struggled to get comfortable on the mound this spring. Perez was re-signed for $36 million over three years, but he’s often erratic and his conditioning became an issue when he returned to camp from the World Baseball Classic. The club is looking for continued growth from Pelfrey, pushed past 200 innings in his first full major league season. Santana was brilliant during his first year in New York, and then he had arthroscopic surgery Oct. 1 on torn cartilage in his left knee. Tightness in his pitching elbow caused a scare early this spring but he appears on track to start the season opener. Manuel went 55-38 after Willie Randolph was fired in June, good enough to keep the job. The Mets think they have what it takes to finally hold off the Phillies this time, but they’ll have to prove it – to themselves and everyone else.
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Florida Marlins
2008: 84-77, third place.
Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (third season).
He’s Here: INF Emilio Bonifacio, RHP Leo Nunez, RHP Scott Proctor.
He’s Outta Here: LHP Scott Olsen, RHP Kevin Gregg, OF Josh Willingham, 1B Mike Jacobs, RHP Sergio Mitre, RHP Eulogio De La Cruz.
Projected Lineup: CF Cameron Maybin (.277, 13 HRs, 49 RBIs at Double-A Carolina; 16-for-32 for Marlins), C John Baker (.299, 5, 32 in 61 games), SS Hanley Ramirez (.301, 33, 67, 35 SB, .400 OBP, .540 slugging percentage), 3B Jorge Cantu (.277, 29, 95), 2B Dan Uggla (.260, 32, 92, 171 Ks), LF Jeremy Hermida (.249, 17, 61), RF Cody Ross (.260, 22, 73), 1B Gaby Sanchez (.314, 17, 92 for Carolina).
Rotation: RH Ricky Nolasco (15-8, 3.52 ERA, 186 SO, 42 BB in 212 1-3 IP), RH Josh Johnson (7-1, 3.61 in 14 starts), RH Chris Volstad (6-4, 2.88 in 15 G), RH Anibal Sanchez (2-5, 5.57 in 10 starts), LH Andrew Miller (6-10, 5.89).
Key Relievers: RH Matt Lindstrom (3-3, 3.14 ERA, 5/6 saves in 66 games), RH Scott Proctor (2-0, 6.05 in 41 games for Dodgers), RH Leo Nunez (4-1, 2.98 in 45 games for Royals), LH Renyel Pinto (2-5, 4.45 in 67 games), RH Logan Kensing (3-1, 4.23 in 48 games).
job, but he struggled early in spring training. If Sanchez is deemed not ready, the Marlins might move Cantu to 1B and start weak-hitting, slick-fielding Bonifacio at 3B. The Marlins decided against signing Ivan Rodriguez to catch and instead gave the job to Baker, who hit .299 in 61 games last season as a 28-year-old rookie. The backup is Mike Rabelo, who batted .202 in 34 games.
Stat Sheet: The Marlins finished third-worst in the majors in fielding last year with 117 errors and allowed 60 unearned runs. General manager Larry Beinfest has emphasized the need for improvement, and he was outspoken in his criticism when the Marlins committed four errors in their first spring training game. Shuffling in the infield may help. Sanchez would be a defensive upgrade over Jacobs (11 errors) at 1B, and Bonifacio would be an improvement over Cantu (22 errors) at 3B. Also likely to help is the addition of speedy rookie CF Maybin, and the move by defense-challenge Hermida from RF to LF. Improvement is needed by Ramirez (22 errors) and Uggla (13).
remains the lowest in the majors at less than $35 million, and the offseason departures of Olsen, Gregg, Willingham and Jacobs were cost-cutting moves. The overachieving Marlins have lots of young pitching talent, but the perennial payroll purges make it tough for them contend, and they probably won’t be able to keep up with the Mets and Phillies in the NL East.
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Atlanta Braves
2008: 72-90, fourth place.
Manager: Bobby Cox (20th season of current tenure, 24th with Braves overall).
He’s Here: RHP Derek Lowe, RHP Javier Vazquez, RHP Kenshin Kawakami, OF Garret Anderson, C David Ross.
He’s Outta Here: RHP John Smoltz, LHP Mike Hampton, LHP Chuck James, C Corky Miller.
Projected Lineup: CF Josh Anderson (.294, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs, 10 SB in 136 ABs), SS Yunel Escobar (.288, 10, 60), 3B Chipper Jones (career-best .364, 22, 75), C Brian McCann (.301, 23, 87), LF Garret Anderson (.293, 15, 84 with Angels), RF Jeff Francoeur (.239, 11, 71), 2B Kelly Johnson (.287, 12, 69), 1B Casey Kotchman (.272, 14, 74 with Angels and Braves).
Rotation: RH Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.92 ERA, 147 Ks with Dodgers), RH Jair Jurrjens (13-10, 3.68), RH Kenshin Kawakami (9-5, 2.30 with Chunichi Dragons in Japan), RH Javier Vazquez (12-16, 4.67, 200 Ks with White Sox), LH Tom Glavine (2-4, 5.54 in 13 games).
Key Relievers: LH Mike Gonzalez (0-3, 4.28 ERA, 14/16 saves), RH Rafael Soriano (0-1, 2.57, 3 saves), RH Jorge Campillo (8-7, 3.91 in 39 games, 25 starts), RH Manny Acosta (3-5, 3.57), LH Boone Logan (2-3, 5.95 with White Sox).
Hot Spots: Outfield and No. 5 starter. Touted prospect Jordan Schafer is pushing Josh Anderson in center and probably is the long-term answer. Schafer hit .320 at Double-A Mississippi last year and might open the season at Triple-A Gwinnett. The winner is the probable leadoff hitter. Gregor Blanco is the third option in center field. Cox hasn’t said how he plans to distribute playing time in left between Garret Anderson, Matt Diaz and possibly Blanco. The key to the lineup is Francoeur’s ability to rebound from a dismal 2008 season, when he hit only two homers after the All-Star break. He drove in 100 runs in 2006 and 2007, and his power is needed to boost the middle of the lineup, especially when McCann is given a day off. Glavine, returning from elbow surgery, needs to remain healthy to hold off 22-year-old Tommy Hanson, who hasn’t pitched above Double-A but has proved this spring that his MVP showing in the Arizona Fall League was no fluke.
were 23rd with 130 homers. … Kotchman hit only .237 with two homers and 23 RBIs in 43 games with Atlanta after he was acquired from the Angels at the trade deadline. … Atlanta revamped its rotation with Lowe, Vazquez and Kawakami after its starting pitchers ranked 27th in innings pitched. Braves relievers threw 554 1-3 innings, more than every other team except Texas and Pittsburgh, according to STATS. … Jones, 36, hasn’t played in 140 games since 2003.
fficulty keeping pace with the Phillies and Mets in the NL East.
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Washington Nationals
2008: 59-102, fifth place.
Manager: Manny Acta (third season).
He’s Here: OF-1B Adam Dunn, RHP Daniel Cabrera, LHP Scott Olsen, OF Josh Willingham, LHP Joe Beimel, RHP Julian Tavarez.
He’s Outta Here: GM Jim Bowden, RHP Tim Redding, LHP Odalis Perez, RHP Shawn Hill, 2B Emilio Bonifacio, INF Aaron Boone, LHP Charlie Manning.
Projected Lineup: CF Lastings Milledge (.268, 14 HRs, 61 RBIs, 24 SB), SS Cristian Guzman (.316, 9, 55), 3B Ryan Zimmerman (.283, 14, 51 in 106 games), LF Adam Dunn (.236, 40, 100, 164 Ks, NL-high 122 walks with Reds and Diamondbacks), RF Elijah Dukes (.264, 13, 44), 1B Nick Johnson (.220, 5, 20 in 38 games), C Jesus Flores (.256, 8, 59), 2B Anderson Hernandez (.333, 0, 17 in 28 games) or 2B Ronnie Belliard (.287, 11, 46).
Rotation: LH John Lannan (9-15, 3.91 ERA), LH Scott Olsen (8-11, 4.20, 201 2-3 innings with Marlins), RH Daniel Cabrera (8-10, 5.25 with Orioles), RH Jordan Zimmermann (10-3, 2.89 ERA with Double-A Harrisburg and Class-A Potomac), RH Shairon Martis (1-3, 5.66) or RH Collin Balester (3-7, 5.51 ERA).
e (2-2, 4.31 in 61 games), RH Julian Tavarez (1-5, 5.10 in 52 games with Red Sox, Brewers and Braves), RH Saul Rivera (5-6, 3.96 in 76 games), RH Garrett Mock (1-3, 4.17 in 26 games), LH Mike Hinckley (0-0, 0.00 in 14 games), RH Jason Bergmann (2-11, 5.09 in 30 games, 22 starts).
Hot Spots: Outfield and bullpen. A crowded outfield means a trade could be coming. Willingham and Kearns, both coming off injury-hampered seasons, could wind up platooning or on the bench. The bullpen, once a strength, is mainly filled with untested players, with the exception of eighth-inning setup man Beimel.
Stat Sheet: Last season, the Nationals ranked 28th in the major leagues in runs (641) and homers (117), and tied for 26th in batting average (.251). They also ranked 28th in homers allowed (190) and 24th in team ERA (4.66). As for defense? Only one team made more errors than Washington’s 123 or had a worse fielding percentage than its .980.
the team. Oh, and that happened shortly after the Nationals acknowledged their much-hyped, top Dominican prospect – a shortstop they gave a $1.4 million signing bonus – had lied about his age and name and was no longer to be considered such a top prospect, given that he is 23 and not 19. All that aside, on the field, the Nationals made only one significant move to improve the roster: adding much-needed power – along with a ton of strikeouts and iffy defense – by signing Dunn.
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