National League East Offseason Grades

Kyle Schwarber rumors: Coveted free agent gets offer from Pirates - masslive.com

With pitchers and catchers reporting to camp in just a few days, the offseason is all but over. There are still a handful of high impact free agents left on the market, and late trades are always certain, but it's just about time to hand out some offseason grades. I'll start here with the NL East, which is shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.

Atlanta Braves: B


The Braves signed one of my favorite players heading into the offseason in utility man Mike Yastrzemski, who can play all over the diamond. They pair him with another great utility man in Mauricio Dubon, giving them one of the best benches in the league. The injury of Ha-Seong Kim hurts, but Dubon and Jorge Mateo should do well enough at SS until Kim gets back. I like Robert Suarez as a pitcher, but giving him a 3 year deal is certainly an interesting choice, especially for a 34 year old reliever who throws his fastballs 75% of the time. The biggest question is if the Braves rotation can hold up, as they only had 1 starting pitcher throw over 150 innings. Nonetheless, they have one of the best on-paper lineups in the league, and should be in line for a bounce back season.


Miami Marlins: C+


The Marlins made only 2 major league signings, bringing in closer Pete Fairbanks and redemption candidate Christopher Morel, but were active in the trade market. The Weathers and Cabrera trades brought back quantity over quality, with Owen Caissie being the only top 100 prospect they brought in. The Marlins overperformed expectations last season, and should have been in the conversation for guys like Murakami or O’Hearn. Still, they have a young position core and a talented, if not volatile, starting rotation. The biggest question remains what they will do with former Cy Young Sandy Alcantara, who has a club option after this season and might not fit into Miami's competitive timeline.


New York Mets: A


The Mets underwent a massive transition this offseason, losing franchise mainstays in Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil. To replace them, they brought in a pair of Yankees relievers in Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, while Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr, Marcus Semien, and Bo Bichette will fill in around the diamond. The rotation, headlined by new ace Freddy Peralta and young phenom Nolan Mclean, has many less question marks than this time last year. They made sure to leave room for top OF prospect Carson Benge, who comes into camp with every chance to win the 3rd outfield spot in New York. The addition of Bichette seemingly leaves former top prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos without a spot in this lineup, but the risk of Bichette opting out after this season means that at least one of them will stay around. Still, a trade of one of them could replenish a system that lost 3 major league ready prospects this offseason. 


Philadelphia Phillies: C


The Phillies believed they had secured Bo Bichette with their 7 year, $200 million offer until the 11th hour, when the Mets swooped in and Steve Cohen opened his pockets. Losing out on Bichette and Kyle Tucker stings, as many believed the clock on this Phillies core is ticking towards completion. The Phillies retain most of the core that won 96 games last season, bringing back Schwarber and Realmuto, while adding Brad Keller to replace Matt Strahm in the back end of the bullpen. Justin Crawford should provide some much needed youth into the lineup, while Andrew Painter will have big shoes to fill with Ranger Suarez’s departure. A bounceback year from Aaron Nola and offseason flyer Adolis Garcia represent best case scenarios for a Phillies team whose championship window is closing. 


Washington Nationals: B


The Nationals took a big step backwards in what was supposed to be a promising season last year. James Wood was great in the first half (.915 OPS), but struggled mightily in the second half as strikeouts ran wild (.615 OPS). Trading Mackenzie Gore at the top of his value was a great move from new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, and two of the four prospects they brought in, former 1st round pick Gavin Fien and intriguing right hander Alejandro Rosario, are high-level prospects. Luis Perales, who came over in a prospect-for-prospect swap with the Red Sox, should rank highly among pitchers in his new system. Harry Ford, acquired from the Mariners, will battle with former top prospect Kiebert Ruiz for the catcher spot. The Nationals still have young players around the diamond, with Wood, Dylan Crews, Brady House, Daylen Lile and Robert Hassell III all under 24. The rotation should be one of the worst in baseball, especially without Mackenzie Gore, but Perales joins Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora in the Nationals system. 2025 number 1 overall pick Eli Willits brings promise. The Nationals could still trade CJ Abrams, who should bring back a strong prospect haul.


 

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