Since most sports fans turn their attention to football or hockey after the last pitch of the World Series I figured I'll catch everyone up on what you might have missed. What I'm going to do is go over each division and tell you who each team has signed , who they lost and which free agents they have. And then a quick comment on if I think they are in better shape now than when they ended the season.
Atlanta Braves 86-76
Arrivals
Jesse Chavez, Scott Proctor, Billy Wagner, Takashi Saito, Milky Cabrera, Joe Thurston, Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske
Departures
Rafael Soriano, Buddy Carlyle, Jorge Campillo, Javier Vazquez, Boone Logan, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Church and Adam LaRoche
Free Agents
Garrett Anderson, Mike Gonzalez, Greg Norton and Vladimir Nunez
As of now I don't like what the Braves have done. I definitely would not have traded Vazquez and Logan for Cabrera. It also appears they are turning the bullpen but bringing in Wagner after major surgery along with Saito and Proctor is not the answer. Troy Glaus has not been healthy for 2 seasons. Leaving are some good productive players like Adam Laroche, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Church and Rafael Soriano
Florida Marlins 87-75
Arrivals
Hunter Jones, Danny Richar
Departures
Nick Johnson, Ross Gload, Matt Lindstrom, Jeremy Hermedia and Scott Proctot
Free Agents
Brendon Donelly, Kiko Calero and Alfredo Amezaga
So Florida has not done much of anything. Such is life for a team with no payroll. The big decision they have to make before spring training starts is will they deal Dan Uggla.
New York Mets 70-92
Arrivals
Chris Coste, Henry Blanco, Ryota Igarashi, Kelvim Escobar, Jason Bay and Jay Marshall
Departures
Brian Schneider, JJ Putz and Ken Takahashi
Free Agents
Carlos Delgado, Fernando Tatis, Gary Sheffield, Ramon Martinez, Tim Redding, Jeremy Reed and Cory Sullivan
Getting Jason Bay is a very good start. But just that a start. Lets face. it this is a contending team when everyone is healthy. As of now they flipped Schneider for Blanco and Coste. But word has it Bengie Molina will sign this week. Now they need to go out and get some starting pitching. The Carlos Beltran situation was a fiasco and good organizations should have never let that happen.
Philadelphia Phillies 93-69
Arrivals
Ross Gload, Brian Schneider, Placido Polanco, Juan Castro Roy Halladay and Deny Baez
Departures
Pedro Feliz, Cliff Lee, Eric Brutlett, Scott Eyre and Brett Myers
Free Agents
Pedro Martinez, Chan Ho Park, Matt Stairs, Miguel Cairo, Paul Bako and Chris Condrey
The Phils got one of the best pitchers and toughest competitors in all of baseball by getting Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee is good but Halladay is definately a notch above. Polanco for Feliz is not much difference. The Phils in the next month need to fill in their bullpen. Still the class of the division by far.
Washington Nationals 59-103
Arrivals
Ivan Rodriguez, Brian Bruney, Doug Slaton, Jason Marquis, Eddie Guardado, Matt Capps, Eric Bruntlett and Jason Whitesell
Departures
Saul Rivera, Josh Bard and Austin Kearns
Free Agents
Dmitri Young,Ron Villone, Livan Hernandez and Mike MacDougal
A very surprising off season for the Nats. Usually terrible teams like this are not so aggressive in the free agent market unless they have a core of kids that make them close to contention. Which is not the case with them. I don't understand why Marquis, a New York guy is not a Met. And Matt Capps would have been a nice addition in Flushing. Anyway they will be better than last year.
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Sorry Mitch, but that new ballpark and a lack of pitching seriously hurt the Mets chances. Add the fact that Beltran is out until at least May 1st and possibly the entire first half and you have a team that will be lucky to win 80 games. I agree with you that the Braes also shot themselves in the foot as I would not want to enter a season where glaus and hinske are my everyday corner infielders. Phillies win this division convincingly behind their triple H rotation.
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