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2009 MLB National League East - 09 Season Preview
Atlanta Braves
2008 Record: 72-90
Pythagorean W/L: 79-83
Key Additions
Derek Lowe, RHP
Javier Vasquez, RHP
Boone Logan, LHP
Dave Ross, C
Kenshin Kawakami, RHP
Eric O’Flaherty, LHP
Garrett Anderson, OF
Key Losses
John Smoltz, RHP
Jorge Julio, RHP
Chuck James, LHP
Will Ohman, LHP
Julian Tavarez, RHP
Mike Hampton, LHP
Royce Ring, LHP
The Braves had a whirlwind offseason. While the team was able to significantly improve their pitching staff, they did so without acquiring Jake Peavy, who they sought early in the offseason.
They lost out on Rafael Furcal and Ken Griffey Jr. The team lost John Smoltz, which means that barring setbacks with the Red Sox, every one of the three great Braves pitchers of the 90’s will have left the team for greener pastures.
Derek Lowe has been one of baseball’s most reliable pitchers of recent years, and while he didn’t get quite the dollar figure he’d hoped for, he benefited greatly from signing early.
Javier Vasquez has also been extremely reliable, and should benefit from playing in an environment he’s more comfortable with. He’s thrown 200 or more innings in eight of the last nine seasons, coming up short in 2004 when he threw 198. He’s made at least 32 starts in all but one season of his 11year career, the oddity being his 26 start 1999 season.
Kenshin Kawakami is no Daisuke Matsuzaka, but like many other players who come from Japan, he’s in the middle of his prime and should give the Braves an immediate return on their investment.
The Braves look improved, and with a very young team, and very strong farm system, and a pitching staff entering, or in the midst of its prime, the Braves could be re-living their 90’s glory years sooner rather than later.
Prediction: 96-66
Florida Marlins
2008 Record: 84-77
Pythagorean W/L: 81-80
Key Additions
Jose Ceda, RHP
Scott Proctor, RHP
Leo Nunez, RHP
Dan Meyer, LHP
Ronny Paulino, C
Key Losses
Luis Gonzalez, OF*
Paul Lo Duca, C*
Arthur Rhodes, LHP
Kevin Gregg, RHP
Mark Hendrickson, LHP
Mike Jacobs, 1b
Joe Nelson, RHP
Scott Olsen, LHP
Josh Willingham, LF
The Marlins re-opened their firesale this offseason, sending veterans nearing the end of their arbitration years packing. The team is notorious, however, for having one of the top farm system and player development programs in baseball.
Larry Beinfest will eventually go down as one of the greatest personnel guys in baseball. His ability to re-tool is uncanny, to the point where I feel comfortable calling it re-tooling though under any other personnel guy it’d be called rebuilding.
After flirting with Ivan Rodriguez for a few weeks, the Marlins ultimately traded for Ronny Paulino. Paulino’s was one of the better catching prospects available this offseason, and acquired, in Beinfest-fashion, at a fraction of the cost the team would have paid for more sought after catchers, namely the Texas Rangers trio.
2009 will be a down year for the Marlins; the team unloaded some of its most promising prospects from recent years as a means of cutting costs. However, the team is almost sure to rise again at some point.
Prediction: 76-86
New York Mets
2008 Record: 89-73
Pythagorean W/L: 89-73
Key Additions
Rocky Cherry, RHP (Rule 5 Draft)
Alex Cora, SS
Sean Green, RHP
Darren O’Day, RHP (Rule 5 Draft)
J.J. Putz, RHP
Tim Redding, RHP
Francisco Rodriguez, RHP
Cory Sullivan, CF
Jeremy Reed, OF
Key Losses
Moises Alou, LF
Luis Ayala, RHP
Damion Easley, 2b
Orlando Hernandez, RHP
Pedro Martinez, RHP
Ramon Martinez, 2b
Ricardo Rincon, LHP
Matt Wise, RHP
Endy Chavez, CF
Aaron Heilman, RHP
Scott Schoenweis, LHP
Joe Smith, RHP
Claudio Vargas, RHP
The Mets biggest need going into the offseason was bullpen depth. The team traded for J.J. Putz, Sean Green, signed Francisco Rodriguez, and ditched most of their under-achieving bullpen pitchers.
The needs to solidify the back half of its starting rotation, but was able to retain Oliver Perez in an economy-aided reasonable contract. Perez and Johan Santana could make a scary tandem atop the team’s rotation for years to come.
Pedro Martinez is still a free agent, but it’s unlikely that he or the Mets will consider a return of the future hall-of-famer. The aging vet showed that he’s still got something left in the tank during the World Baseball Classic.
While the team gave up Aaron Heilman and Endy Chavez in the Putz trade, neither was a huge contributor to the team last year.
Prediction: 87-75
Philadelphia Phillies
2008 Record: 92-70
Pythagorean W/L: 93-69
Key Additions
Raul Ibanez, OF
Chan Ho Park, RHP
Ronny Paulino, C
Key Losses
Tom Gordon, RHP*
Rudy Seanez, RHP*
Pat Burrell, LF
R.J. Swindle, LHP
Ronny Paulino, C
The 2008 World Series Champs picked up Raul Ibanez early in their offseason, perhaps a move they’d have reconsidered if they new the economic condition facing baseball. The team signed Ibanez to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, one of the bigger deals handed out this offseason.
The guy Ibanez replaced, Pat Burrell, signed one of the bargain contracts of the offseason. Burrell and Ibanez are very similar players, in that they’re both pretty decent offensive players, but poor defenders.
Almost as quickly as the Phillies had acquired Ronny Paulino, the dealt him to the Marlins in exchange for a minor-leaguer.
Cole Hamels will miss opening day, but probably shouldn’t be too much cause for concern as the talented lefty has no structural damage in his injured pitching elbow.
The Phillies, a surprise team last year, stood still while the Braves reloaded and the Mets overspent to fix what ailed them in 2008.
Prediction: 86-76
Washington Nationals
2008 Record: 59-102
Pythagorean W/L: 62-99
Key Additions
Daniel Cabrera, RHP
Josh Willingham, LF
Scott Olsen, LHP
Key Losses
Odalis Perez, LHP
Chad Cordero, RHP
The Nationals had an ugly offseason. While losing Odalis Perez and Chad Cordero isn’t exactly jaw-droppingly terrible, the team is caught in a scandal that forced General Manager Jim Bowden to resign. While the resignation certainly should help the team avoid distraction, there was damage done.
Before Bowden resigned he managed to sign Daniel Cabrera, a pitcher with unlimited ability to a miniscule contract. Cabrera, a giant of a man with a huge arm, could be a reclamation project akin to Randy Johnson.
Bowden wasn’t able to sign Ryan Zimmerman to an extension though, continuing a mini-saga that plagued the team in 2008.
Perhaps the Nationals biggest move with implication this offseason, however, came when the team somehow managed to beat out the hapless Mariners for the worst record in baseball.
The Nats will have the opportunity to draft Stephen Strasburg, who is perhaps the best pitching prospect in the history of baseball. Such luxury comes with a hefty price tag though, as Strasburg’s agent, the infamous Scott Boras, is already throwing around scary signing bonus figures.
Prediction: 66-96
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