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!