NL East Preview: New York Mets

                    Cornerstone 3B David Wright will most likely be in for a bumpy ride in 2013.

Key Additions: Shaun Marcum, Brandon Hicks, John Buck, Travis D'Arnaud

Key Subtractions: R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, Jon Rauch, Scott Hairston, Andres Torres, Ronny Cedeno, Kelly Shoppach, Jason Bay (?)

Analysis: Well, the first order of business was taken care of in December with the 8- year extension of David Wright. Then the Mets did a little house cleaning, most notably with the release of Jason Bay, who was nothing short of a disaster in New York. And then the Mets decided to trade 38- year old 2012 Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey and receive back C Travis D'Arnaud, who has the potential to become a future All-Star. They also brought in Shaun Marcum, who has been a 12- game winner 3 different times in his career. So the Mets did do some nice things to start the offseason. They have gotten younger and look like they will be a team on the rise in the future highlighted by guys like Wright, D'Arnaud, P Matt Harvey, and SS Ruben Tejada. So why do I think they will continue to struggle in 2013? Their pitching staff will be the main culprit. Johan Santana has a shot at 10 wins, but he is getting older and has a shoulder injury history so I don't even expect him to reach 30 starts. Pitchers Dillon Gee and Jon Niese are just middle-of-the road right now and will need to improve for this rotation to be considered a real threat. My sleeper in this rotation is Matt Harvey. He is a young, power pitcher who has the potential for 15+ wins and 200 strikeouts. I just don't know if he is ready to take that step in 2013. They do have a scrappy lineup and will put up some runs. SS Ruben Tejada, 3B David Wright, and 1B Ike Davis will lead a Mets offense that hit .250 last year. The biggest problem is the bullpen. Frank Francisco is the slated closer who had an ERA over 5.00 last year. There also isn't any depth in the bullpen. The only other notable guys are Brandon Lyon and Bobby Parnell. In other words, expect the Mets bullpen to struggle and blow a lot of games. This Mets team has some pieces for the future, but don't expect them to shine bright in 2013.

Projected 2013 Finish: 75-87; 4th Place

Last up: The Miami Marlins. Thanks so much for reading! Fell free to leave comments on what I could improve or what my next division or topic should be!  

NL East Preview: Atlanta Braves

If the Upton Brothers can push each other to new levels this year, the Braves are poised for a World Series run.

Key Additions: Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, Chris Johnson, Jordan Walden, Gerald Laird

Key Subtractions: Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Michael Bourn, David Ross, Eric Hinske, Peter Moylan, Chad Durbin, Martin Prado

Analysis: The Braves are a team built to become legitimate World Series contenders in 2013. They bolstered their outfield in the offseason with the addition of Upton brothers. Both of them have all the potential in the world to become .280+ hitters with 25+ home runs a season. If they develop some kind of "Brotherly Rivalry" and try to outdo each other, it is going to be scary to see what they can do for a Braves offense that ranked 11th in the NL in team batting average last year. And that's not to mention Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, both age 23, who should get to 20+ homers and 80+ RBI's. He probably won't fill Chipper Jones shoes, but Chris Johnson should still serve as a viable 3B option for the Braves. He has had a .300+ OBP every year in his career except for 2011 (Still .291). The Braves still also have a strong bullpen, highlighted by Craig Kimbrel, who is flat-out filthy. He has to be a lock for at least 35 saves. Will Kris Medlen emerge as the No. 1 pitcher for this pitching staff? Seems like that is what the Braves are banking on. The right-hander went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch for the Braves. Atlanta would love if he could turn into the perennial ace of the staff with guys like an aging Tim Hudson, and Mike Minor and Paul Maholm, who both have ERA's over 4.00 for their careers. The pitching staff is one of the few question marks I have for the Braves in 2013. Will Brian McCann return to All-Star form? He has had back- to- back injury-riddled seasons, failing to play 130+ games in both the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. What about Dan Uggla? He struggled in his strong suit last season, failing to hit 20 home runs for the first time ever. And will the Braves end up missing Tommy Hanson? I just don't know if that rotation is quite yet built to help Atlanta get to where they eventually want to get. It will be interesting to monitor during the season if the Braves go after a guy like Matt Garza to set up that chance of a World Series run. However, I just don't see the Braves outplaying the Nationals this year.

Projected Finish: 93-67; 2nd place

Sorry I was so late in posting this one! Busy with my own baseball tryouts this week. Please share me to others if you enjoy reading these. Comments are always welcome as well. Next up: New York Mets.