Spring Training Preview: Phillies Must Be Wary of Improved NL East

With pitchers and catchers set to report to Clearwater in a mere two days, it’s time to start wrapping our minds around a fresh season of Major League Baseball.

Since winning the NL East title in 2007, the Phillies have been the class, not just of the East, but of the entire National League. They have been to two World Series’ since 2007, winning that memorable series against Tampa Bay in 2008.

At this point it would be easy to look at the Phillies roster and pencil them in for 95 wins and another National League East crown.

However, I’m not ready to jump to conclusions yet.

After an offseason of surprise signings and departures, the National League East is looking like one of the more competitive divisions in baseball.

While the Phils did enhance their bullpen in the form of closer Jonathan Papelbon and middle relievers Dontrelle Willis and Chad Qualls, they did not add a definitive answer at first base to replace the injured Ryan Howard.

Jim Thome is a start, but there are still questions about his ability to field the position at 41 years old. Thome will be a huge upgrade as a bat off of the bench, but his presence in the field may be minimal.

The Phillies also added veteran infielder Ty Wigginton, and if I had to guess I’d say Wigginton will be the primary replacement for Howard until he is able to return from his torn Achilles.

When evaluating the rest of the division it’s easy to notice vast improvement.

While the Mets and Braves didn’t add much this offseason, the Nationals and Marlins sure did.

With their new stadium set to open this season, the Miami Marlins knew they had to make a big impact in free agency.

They did not waste any time.

After hiring Ozzie Guillen as the new face of their franchise they went out and signed All-Star shortstop José Reyes to a six-year, $106 million deal.

In addition to signing Reyes, the Marlins also snagged former White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle, and eventually signed All-Star closer Heath Bell, formerly of the Padres.

Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals kept busy, signing former Phillies Brad Lidge and Chad Durbin to bolster their bullpen.

While those names don’t seem like a big deal, they will provide necessary depth. In addition, the Nationals drastically improved their starting rotation by adding pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson who combined to win 28 games and strike out 345 batters a year ago.

Maybe the Nationals won’t make a run towards the playoffs this year, but I would expect Miami to be in contention for a Wild Card spot at the very least.

So while the Marlins and Nationals may not be as well-rounded as the Phillies, they’re taking notes on how to become like the reigning NL East champs.

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