EAST DIVISION
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
■ Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).
■2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Chicago Cubs
in NLDS.
■Training Town: West Palm Beach, Florida.
■Park: The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
■ First Workout: Feb. 16/21.
■ He’s Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero.
■ He’s Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson
Werth, C Jose Lobaton, 1B-LF Adam Lind, RHP Matt Albers.
■ Going campin’: It’s become an all-too-familiar story
for the Nationals and their fans: terrific regular season, followed by quick playoff exit. Martinez will be the latest skipper to try to lead the club to postseason success — and GM Mike Rizzo has made it clear ownership expects nothing less than a World Series championship. Martinez has been Joe Maddon’s right-hand man with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays and now gets his first shot in charge of a team. The core of the team did not change at all, with RF Bryce Harper leading the lineup in what
could be his last go-round with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall before free agency. 1B Ryan Zimmerman had a career year and 3B Anthony Rendon and SS Trea
Turner should provide plenty of offense, while three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg anchor the rotation. Not much in the way of camp
MIAMI MARLINS
■ Manager: Don Mattingly (third season). 017: 77-85, second place.
■ Training Town: Jupiter, Fla.
■ Park: Roger Dean Stadium.
■ First Workout: Feb. 14/19.
■ He’ Here: INF Starlin Castro, OF Lewis Brinson, RHP S andyAlcantara, RHP Jorge Guzman, 1B Garrett Cooper, RHP Jacob Turner, OF-1B Scott Van Slyke, RHP Jumbo Diaz.
■ He’s Outta Here: RF Giancarlo Stanton, LF Marcell Ozuna, CF Christian Yelich, 2B Dee Gordon, RHP Tom Koehler, OF Ichiro Suzuki, RHP Dustin McGowan, C A.J. Ellis.
■ Going campin’: The perennially downtrodden Marlins reboot yet again, this time under a new ownership group led by former Yankees captain Derek Jeter. The group has already antagonized the tiny fan base by trading major league home run champion Stanton, stolen base champ
Gordon, All-Star Ozuna and Yelich, netting in return Castro and prospects. Jeter says the payroll dump was necessary because budget discipline and a stronger farm system are the only path to sustained success. The Marlins haven’t had a winning season since 2009, and .500 may now be at least a few more years away. Mattingly’s challenge during spring training will be to find five starting pitchers and
build a lineup around Castro and catcher J.T. Realmuto — although both could exit in trades for more prospects.
ATLANTA BRAVES
■ Manager: Brian Snitker
(third season).
■ 017: 72-90, third place.
■ Training Town: Kissimmee, Fla.
■ Park: Champion Stadium.
■ First Workout: Feb. 14/19.
■ He’s Here: RHP Brandon McCarthy, LHP Scott Kazmir, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Preston Tucker, OF Ronald Acuna, 3B Austin Riley, OF Jeff Decker, 2B Christian Colon, RHP Shane Carle.
■ He’s Outta Here: OF Matt Kemp, RHP R.A. Dickey, 3B Adonis Garcia, 1B Matt Adams, INF Jace Peterson, RHP Jason Motte.
■ Going campin’: It would be no surprise if top prospect Acuna makes a big push to open the season in Atlanta. For at least a few weeks, however, Lane Adams and Preston Tucker might share that job in left field. Similarly, Johan Camargo and Rio Ruiz may lead the competition at third base, but Riley is another top prospect who could try to show he’s ready for the job. Julio Teheran, Mike Foltynewicz and McCarthy should have spots in the rotation, and leading contenders for the other two slots are left-handers Sean Newcomb and Luiz Gohara, plus Lucas Sims, Max Fried and Kazmir, if healthy. The Braves are concerned about a lack of power after losing Kemp and Adams. Left
hander A.J. Minter could eventually push Arodys Vizcaino for ninth-inning work.
NEW YORK METS
■ Manager: Mickey Callaway (first season). ■ 017: 70-92, fourth place.
■ Training Town: Port St. Lucie, Fla.
■ Park: First Data Field.
■ First Workout: Feb. 14/19.
■ He’s Here: 3B Todd Frazier, RF Jay Bruce, RHP Anthony Swarzak, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, C Jose Lobaton, INF-OF Ty Kelly, LHP Matt Purke, OF Zach Borenstein.
■ He’s Outta Here: Manager Terry Collins, LHP Josh Smoker, LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Chasen Bradford, OF Norichika Aoki, RHP Erik Goeddel, LHP Tommy Milone.
■ Going campin’: While many teams were reluctant to spend in free agency, the Mets filled a few holes with Frazier, Bruce and Swarzak. It’s enough to give them hope for a bounce-back season, but their chances to contend probably depend on the 3-4-5 spots in the rotation.
Can injury-plagued Steven Matz, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler provide quality innings? There are three or four
jobs available in a bullpen that could be solid at the back end with Jeurys Familia, AJ Ramos, Jerry Blevins and Swarzak. Bruce, Frazier and Yoenis Cespedes provide power in a plodding lineup that hopes to get All-Star slugger Michael Conforto (shoulder surgery) back in May. Until then, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares figure to platoon in center field. New York will be looking for marked
improvement from 22-year-old prospects SS Amed Rosario and 1B Dominic Smith, too.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
■ Manager: Gabe Kapler (first season).
■ 2017: 66-96, fifth place.
■ Training Town: Clearwater, Fla.
■ Park: Spectrum Field.
■ First Workout: Feb. 14/19.
■ He’s Here: 1B Carlos Santana, RHP Pat Neshek, RHP
Tommy Hunter, RHP Francisco Rodriguez, INF Will Middlebrooks.
■ He’s Outta Here: Manager Pete Mackanin, SS Freddy Galvis, INF Andres Blanco, OF Daniel Nava, OF Hyun Soo Kim, RHP Clay Buchholz.
■ Going campin’: The Phillies have had five straight losing seasons and finished last three times in the past four years, but they have reason for optimism. They were 35-35 in the last 70 games after young hitters Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Rhys Hoskins and J.P. Crawford joined the team. The addition of Santana bolsters a lineup that includes Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr. It could be quite formidable. Neshek and Hunter add depth in the bullpen, giving the team a potentially strong 7-8-9 setup with closer Hector Neris. The rotation lacks a proven ace but there’s talent led by Aaron Nola. If a couple of starters step up and Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez return to 2016 form, it could be solid. Kapler has limited managerial experience but he’s a progressive thinker who embraces analytics and sports science. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles his first spring training.