The Post previews the NL East with MLB spring training set to begin:
Atlanta Braves
2024: 89-73
Manager: Brian Snitker (10th season)
Spring training site: North Port, Fla.
Key additions: A mostly quiet offseason gained life in late January, when the Braves landed Jurickson Profar, coming off a breakout season with the Padres, to boost their lineup. Bryan De La Cruz has been added and figures to begin the season in a right field platoon with Jarred Kelenic.
Key losses: Atlanta lost several complementary pieces and one enormous one in Max Fried, who signed with the Yankees. Gone are Charlie Morton, Jorge Soler, Ramón Laureano and plenty of bullpen options, notably new Met A.J. Minter.
Storylines to watch: The Braves did not import a ton externally in part because they will add so much internally. Spencer Strider, who missed all of last season because of elbow surgery, should return to the front of their rotation sometime early this season. If he looks like himself, a group that includes Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach and Reynaldo Lopez would be fearsome. Ronald Acuña Jr., coming off his second torn ACL, also won’t be ready for Opening Day but could be active not long after.
Miami Marlins
2024: 62-100
Manager: Clayton McCullough (first season)
Spring training site: Jupiter, Fla.
Key additions: Miami has signed one player to a major league (split) contract — 27-year-old infielder Eric Wagaman, who played in 18 games with the Angels last year in his MLB debut. With a pair of trades that signaled they are not trying to compete this season, they landed infield prospects Max Acosta and Matt Mervis, who both could see time this year.
Key losses: The Marlins cashed in trade chips in Jesus Luzardo, their reigning Opening Day starter, and Jake Burger, who most often batted third last season, and flipped utilityman Vidal Brujan, plus let respected manager Skip Schumaker leave. Last season, they had offloaded Luis Arráez and Jazz Chisholm Jr., and a full rebuild has begun.
Storylines to watch: How much future value can the Marlins acquire at the 2025 trade deadline? A tanking team in a strong division will have no hope to compete, but there is pitching talent that should entice needy teams. How will Sandy Alcantara look in his first season back from Tommy John surgery? Ditto for Eury Pérez, who underwent the procedure last April and is still just 21. Ryan Weathers, Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer could intrigue.
Philadelphia Phillies
2024: 95-67
Manager: Rob Thomson (fourth season, third complete)
Spring training site: Clearwater, Fla.
Key additions: The Phillies have not been overly splashy but have filled holes. Jesus Luzardo fills out a rotation that rivals any. Max Kepler projects to be their everyday left fielder. Jordan Romano should fit into the back of their bullpen. Joe Ross, a swingman, provides some rotation depth.
Key losses: The bullpen will look different without Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez, who were lost in free agency. Austin Hays now is with the Reds, and Spencer Turnbull is unsigned after filling both rotation and bullpen holes last season.
Storylines to watch: A strong but aging core has yet to win a World Series and sure seems to be running out of time. After an early exit in the NLDS last season, there was an expectation the Phillies would shake up the group in hopes of maximizing the prime years of Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. At least thus far, the Phillies are roughly running it back while a year older. Will this kind of patience/inaction pay off?
Washington Nationals
2024: 71-91
Manager: Dave Martinez (eighth season)
Spring training site: West Palm Beach, Fla.
Key additions: The biggest import came from trade and not free agency, the Nationals landing reliable first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in a swap with the Rangers. Otherwise they attempted to improve around the edges of the roster, bringing back likely DH Josh Bell, signing Amed Rosario for infield depth and glove-tossing former Met Jorge López as bullpen depth, while creating an interesting rotation: Trevor Williams was re-signed, and Michael Soroka and Japanese lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara should compete for spots.
Key losses: The first happy and later sad Patrick Corbin era has ended. Joey Gallo, Ildemaro Vargas and Joey Meneses departed in free agency. The bullpen is being rebuilt without Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey.
Storylines to watch: Washington has not finished above .500 (and has rarely come close) since winning the World Series in 2019. After a subtle offseason, can the in-house talent take a leap to bring the Nats back to relevance? Dylan Crews, James Wood and Jacob Young comprise a potentially star-studded young outfield, and third baseman Brady House could arrive soon.
