NL East season standings: How have the division’s teams improved (or not) so far this winter?

There are two ways to look at the NL East this winter.

Technically, neither division spent more money in free agency. Through this lens, the NL East is a giant, a juggernaut, a financial force of nature.

However, an enormous amount of this spending went to one man: Juan Soto. If we remove Soto from the equation, the division’s spending of $972.75 million shrinks to $207.75 million, a smaller number than that of the AL East, AL West, and NL West.

This points to a larger story. Along with Soto, that division, which sent three teams to the playoffs in 2024, has been relatively inactive so far this season.

Let’s go team by team and analyze how the Phillies, Mets, Braves, Nationals and Marlins have approached the offseason so far.

Philadelphia Phillies

Key moves:

• SP Jesús Luzardo was acquired via trade from the Miami Marlins

• Signed RP Jordan Romano to a one-year deal

• Max Kepler signed a one-year deal

• Signed SP/RP Joe Ross to a one-year deal

Off season class: for-

The defending NL East champions entered the offseason much earlier than they would have liked, exiting the playoffs with a frustrating NLDS loss to the Mets on October 9. In the aftermath, all reports indicated that President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski would do so. Supervising the updating of the list in the winter. For the second straight month in October, the Phillies’ vaunted offense exploded on the big stage under a torrent of hits. Changing things up seemed logical and wise. Veteran players like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner will not be dealt, but All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm — whose late-season struggles led to a surprise upset in the NLDS — has been rumored to be available via trade.

But the deal never materialized, not for Bohm or any other member of the Phillies lineup. Instead, Dombrowski redoubled his starting pitching efforts, bolstering what was already a strength on his club. Getting Jesús Luzardo as the team’s No. 5 player could be a real impactful bargain. Just two years ago, the southpaw started Game 1 of the 2023 Wild Card Series for the Marlins against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Injuries have limited him in 2024, but Luzardo is one season away from being one of the most effective players in the game.

On offense, signing Max Kepler to a one-year deal as the everyday left fielder represents the only significant addition for Philadelphia. Kepler, like Luzardo, has been plagued by injuries in ’24 after pitching as a star in ’23. If he can stay healthy, he will certainly help the Phillies in their quest to repeat as division winners. In the bullpen, the loss of Jeff Hoffman (and fellow prospect Carlos Estevez) weakens Philly’s relief corps, even if Jordan Romano can bounce back from an injury-plagued 2024.

Are the Phillies better today than they were on October 9? maybe? Maybe not. In either case, the year-on-year difference is, again, relatively negligible. The Phillies’ 2025 success, as with the 2023 and 2024 editions, will hinge on whether the club’s best hitters step up to the plate come playoff time. The rest, most likely, is window dressing.

New York Mets

Key moves:

• Juan Soto signed a 15-year deal

• Re-signed SP Sean Manaea to a 3-year deal

• Signed SP Clay Holmes to a 3-year deal

• SP Frankie Montas has signed a two-year deal

• Signed SP Griffin Canning to a one-year deal

• Jose Sirí was acquired via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays

Off-Season Grade: A-

Juan Soto is now a landmark, and his importance cannot be overstated. His jump across town to Mola Mountain represents a new era in New York baseball and makes the Mets a contender for the foreseeable future. Owner Steve Cohen — who also had a strong year off the diamond — is a guy who can afford the luxuries of a $765 million ballplayer. The price is eye-catching. It also doesn’t really matter.

But as unbelievable as it may seem, there is more to life and roster building than Soto.

The Mets entered the winter in desperate need of a revamped and strengthened starting lineup. Three of the team’s four starters hit free agency, and the lone returnee, Kodai Senga, started just one regular-season game in 2024.

New York responded accordingly by signing a quartet of rookie pitchers. This included re-signing Mania, who has blossomed into a front-line contributor for the Mets in 2024. Both Holmes and Montas are interesting, if very different, acquisitions for a pitching development group with an impressive track record. This group will try to make Holmes, who has been a workhorse in the Yankees’ bullpen, into a starter while hoping to unlock another level from Montas, who was a below-average pitcher last season.

Surprisingly, the Mets have yet to address their bullpen, which was exhausted and exhausted by the end of the NLCS. Edwin Diaz needs some help. Fortunately, there are still a large number of shock relievers on the market, including Estevez, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Kenley Janssen.

Then there’s the question of Pete Alonso. The Polar Bear, who spent his entire six-year MLB career in Queens, remains a free agent. The Mets are the most obvious and likely place for him to land, but it’s far from a given. Reaching a short-term deal with a higher annual average with an opt-out could be the path to a reunion. Keeping Alonso would turn the Mets’ already formidable lineup into a true powerhouse and could turn their offseason from A- to A.

Atlanta Braves

Key moves:

Off-season grade: D

Six teams have yet to secure a single dollar in major league free agency: the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.

For Atlanta, whose roster has been plagued by a rash of injuries in 2025, that’s a reality He could It can be seen through rose-colored glasses as good news. This could indicate that Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. — two game-changing forces who missed most of 2024 — are set to return sooner than expected. But through a glass-half-empty lens, the Braves’ inactivity could be viewed as robbing a talented roster of much-needed complementary pieces.

There are certainly places open. Starting pitcher Max Fried, starting pitcher Charlie Morton, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, outfielder Ramon Laureano, outfielder Adam Duvall, infielder Whit Merrifield, reliever Jesse Chavez and infielder Gio Urshela are all contributing members of the 2024 team who have reached free agency. Outfielder Jorge Soler was also dealt to the Angels.

As of now, Atlanta appears content to refill those roles with in-house options and returns from injury. Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that the Braves had an offer agreed upon with Jeff Hoffman before concerns about the pitcher’s medical led to the deal being scrapped. But for the most part, President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos has been uncharacteristically negative. How Anthopoulos goes about fortifying his bench and outfielders over the next six weeks could have tremendous significance for a Braves team that remains one of the most talented groups in the game.

Citizens of Washington

Key moves:

• Signed SP Trevor Williams to a two-year deal

• Signed SP Mike Soroka to a one-year deal

• 1B Nate Lowe was acquired via trade from the Texas Rangers

• Signed RP Jorge Lopez to a one-year deal

• Signed 1B Josh Bell to a one-year deal

Off-season grade: C-

In an alternate timeline, there was an offseason that would have thrust the Nationals into true wild-card contention. Washington, buoyed by Patrick Corbin’s massive contract coming off the books, could have been active at the top of the free-agent market. But while Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso are still available, the Nationals seem likely to enter spring training without a truly significant addition.

It’s an unfortunate path for the Nats, considering they have a group of promising young players on their roster. The moves they made aren’t bad per se – retaining Williams bolsters the rotation floor, while Lowe instantly becomes the club’s best hitter – but this feels like a missed opportunity. If all goes well, the Nats could still be a troublesome figure in 2025. However, the likelihood of that happening could have been higher.

Miami Marlins

Big moves

• 3B/1B Jake Burger was traded to Texas

• SP Jesús Luzardo was traded to Philadelphia

• 1B Matt Mervis was acquired via trade from the Chicago Cubs

Off-season grade: C

The Marlins are one of two MLB teams, along with the White Sox, that are actively trying to lose.

It’s rebuilding time again in Miami. And so the Phish, under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, are trading away any veteran player worth his salt. Both first baseman Jake Burger and starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo were shipped out this winter in deals to prospects. Acquiring 1B Matt Mervis from the Cubs is a nice addition to buy, but for the most part, Miami’s moves are focused on being good about four years from now.