2025 NL East preview: How Braves, Phillies, Nationals, Marlins stack up
The Post previews the NL East with MLB spring training set to begin:2024: 89-73Manager: 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.2024: 62-100Manager: 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 ...