Not much figures to change in the National League East this year. The Braves and Nationals will compete for the division title with the other likely nabbing a spot in the Wild Card game. The Phillies are too old, the Mets are still a few years away and the Marlins are the Marlins. Who remains healthiest could determine who comes out on top.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves focused on adding depth to their roster, while spending a considerable amount of money on extending the contracts of their young stars. Andrelton Simmons, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel and Julio Teheran all received deals of at least four years in February. They are considered the favorites to repeat as division winners, especially after adding Ervin Santana on a one-year deal this week to offset Kris Medlen's season-threatening injury.

Key Additions (2013 Stats):

Ervin Santana: 3.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 161 Ks in 211 IP

Ryan Doumit: .247/.314/.396, 14 HRs, 55 RBIs in 538 PAs

Jordan Walden: 3.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 54Ks in 47 IP

Gavin Floyd: 5.18 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 25s in 24.1 IP

Washington Nationals

Washington disappointed in 2013, finishing 10 games back of Atlanta despite entering the campaign with World Series aspirations. The Nationals struggled on the road, going 39-42, while dealing with injuries to Bryce Harper (118 GP), Jayson Werth (129 GP) and Ross Detwiler (13 GS). The Braves may be even better as their young stars mature, so the Nationals won't have any room for error.

Key Additions (2013 Stats):

Doug Fister: 3.67 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 159 Ks in 208.2 IP

Jose Lobaton: .249/.320/.394, 7 HRs, 32 RBI in 311 PAs

Nate McLouth: .258/.329/.399, 12 HRs, 36 RBIs in 593 PAs

New York Mets

The Mets face a long road to contention, but the future does look brighter with Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler on the mound. The only problem is that Harvey appears unlikely to pitch in 2014 after Tommy John surgery prematurely ended his first All-Star season. They had the second-lowest OPS (.672) in baseball, so they went out and signed Curtis Granderson (career .828 OPS) to remedy that. While he may represent improvement, the former Tiger and Yankee has seen his OPS decrease in each of the last two campaigns.

Key Additions (2013 Stats):

Curtis Granderson: .229/.317/.407, 7 HRs, 15 RBIs in 245 PAs

Bartolo Colon: 2.65 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 117 Ks in 190.1 IP

Kyle Farnsworth: 4.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 28 Ks in 38.1 IP

Chris Young: .200/.280/.379, 12 HRs, 40 RBIs in 375 PAs

Philadelphia Phillies

Marlon Byrd and A.J Burnett are the only significant changes the Phillies made this offseason as they prepare for another season that will hinge on the success of aging stars like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee. Cole Hamels seems like an old 30 and his spring hasn't gone according to plan because of shoulder woes. Ruben Amaro should have invested in a time machine because 2008 was a long time ago.

Key Additions (2013 Stats):

Wil Nieves: .297/.320/.369, 1 HR, 22 RBIs in 206 PAs

A.J. Burnett: 3.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 209 Ks in 191 IP

Marlon Byrd: .291/.336/.511, 24 HRs, 88 RBIs in 579 PAs

Miami Marlins

To say that the Marlins struggled offensively last season would be an understatement. They finished dead-last in runs scored, batting average, on-base and slugging percentage. That hampered a pitching staff that showed signs of being above-average. Jose Fernandez led a group that ranked 11th in ERA (3.71) and 12th in opponent OPS (.703). The additions they made aren't going to set their offensive on fire, but even marginal improvement in that department could lead to a few more wins.

Key Additions (2013 Stats):

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: .273/.338/.466, 14 HRs, 65 RBIs in 470 PAs

Rafael Furcal: .264/.325/.346, 5 HRs, 49 RBIs in 531 PAs (2012)

Garrett Jones: .233/.289/.419, 15 HRs, 51 RBIs in 440 PAs

How We Think They'll Stack Up:

1. Nationals: A year late, Washington will live up to 2013 expectations.

2. Braves: They'll engage in a season-long battle for first place.

3. Phillies: Their age will lead to a streaky, middling season.

4. Mets: They are getting closer, but can't compete with Nationals/Braves.

5. Marlins: Finishing fourth seems to be their ceiling.

 

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