National League East Preview (Last Year's Record) Projected 2009 Record

1.  New York Mets (89-73) 93-69

Added:  Francisco Rodriguez, J.J. Putz

Worry not, Mets fans.  After two disastrous attempts at making the playoffs, the Mets will succeed this season in taking their division and punching their first ticket to the playoffs since 2006.  If these Mets manage to stay healthy, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carloses Beltran and Delgado are as solid a core as a lineup could ask for, and should be enough to make up for what they lack in their starting rotation.

As for that starting rotation, so close, yet so far away from being truly great, a few things need to happen:

Johan Santana must stay healthy all year.  Although this hasn't been an issue for the perennial Cy Young contender, the Mets simply can't survive any extended period without him.

John Maine must regain his form.  Currently in the process of recovering form shoulder surgery, Maine has struggled mightily in his Spring starts.  Before shoulder problems slowed him last season, Maine was on his way to becoming a reliable #2 for New York City's second-favorite baseball team.  However, after his new, awkward delivery had his coaches worrying and his opponents licking their chops, John Maine threw what is said to have been an impressive and encouraging bullpen session Tuesday, March 24th.  Maine could be an enormous X-factor in 2009, as he has the stuff to be the other stud in their rotation.  If he can get back on track, making all of his starts and getting his ERA back under 4, his offense and newly tremendous bullpen should aid him in getting back to, or over, the 15-win mark.

Mets Mission:  Find another starter!  Having discussed John Maine already, the Mets are still in need of another arm besides Santana, Maine, Oliver Perez and up-and-coming Mike Pelfrey.  Livan Hernandez seems to be solidifying that role this Spring, but is that what this team, with nearly a 200 million dollar price tag, really wants to settle for?  Isn't that Pedro Martinez guy looking for a job right now?  I wonder what kind of cock-fighting gambling money he's looking for to pitch this season...

2.  Philadelphia (92-70) 90-72

Added:  Raul Ibanez

The addition of Ibanez to what was already the National League's best lineup just makes the Phillies' offense downright scary.  However, their starting rotation is painfully average.  And, if Cole Hamels's elbow problem becomes any more than a mild Spring irritation, it could end up being just painful.  Since Joe Blanton went from a pitcher's dreamland in Oakland to a Little League World Series park in Philly, he may be the first pitcher to suffer by making the move to the National League in the last 20 years.  Having any talent would certainly help him, but unfortunately he'll just have to settle on hoping for great defense and high winds coming in from the outfield.

It's stating the obvious that Philadelphia will score runs in bunches this year.  They've accomplished this for about three years straight.  Infield offense doesn't get any better than Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins.  However, what they lack in pitching may be their undoing in terms of winning the division and/or making any kind of run in the playoffs.  If and when Cole Hamels is given a clean bill of health, there may be high winds felt in the rest of Pennsylvania from the simultaneous exhale of every Phillies fan holding their breath right now.

3.  Atlanta Braves (72-90) 85-77

Added:  Garrett Anderson, Casey Kotchman ('08 trade), Derek Lowe, Mike Gonzalez, Javier Vazquez

Lost:  Mark Teixeira ('08 trade)

The Braves made a few great moves during the offseason, most notably inking ex-Dodgers ace Derek Lowe and strikeout mogul Javy Vazquez.  Vazquez, whose fantastic strikeout to walk ratio (3.25:1) translated to neither a decent ERA (4.67) nor a winning record (12-16), but his superb mix of pitches should go great with his new NL threads.  If he can simply repeat his performance from last year in his new home, he should be in the 15-win range with his ERA a full run lower.  This could be one of the great AL-to-NL switches in the past few seasons.  However, even with the addition of two semi-studs to the rotation and new closer Mike Gonzalez to shore up the bullpen, it doesn't seem to be enough to compete in the vicious NL East.

4.  Florida Marlins (84-77) 75-87

The curse of having the consensus #1 fantasy pick.  With Hanley Ramirez going first overall in nearly every fantasy draft I've either participated in or heard about this year, the Marlins seem to have only that going for them.  Matt Lindstrom just about self-terminated in the World Baseball Classic, having needed NASA to calculate his ERA from the tournament.  If the closer-in-training feels any effects of a WBC-hangover, his season is in a heap of trouble.  

The Marlins will have a few bright spots in Ramirez, Cameron Maybin and Ricky Nolasco which will make watching them slightly enjoyable, but the biggest fight they will have this year is trying to stay out of last place with the Nationals.

5.  Washington Nationals (59-102) 63-99

Added:  Adam Dunn, Daniel Cabrera

The Washington Nationals added two of the more hilariously inconsistent players in the game in Daniel Cabrera and Adam Dunn this offseason, and will rely on them to attempt to get out of the basement of the NL East.  More importantly from the franchise's point of view is Lastings Milledge and Ryan Zimmerman and their development as they reach their prime.  With Milledge's first full season under his belt and Zimmerman coming up on his fourth full season at the ripe old age of 25, the duo will be expected to finally begin to tap the potential we've all heard so much about.

But, with a starting rotation that now includes a guy who once tossed more base-on-balls than strikeouts in 27 starts (89 to 76 in 2004) in Cabrera, the Nationals are looking at another last place finish in 2009.