2005 MLB Baseball NL EAST Preview
National League East


Atlanta Braves
RF Raul Mondesi impressed many of his new teammates when he reported to camp in excellent physical shape. This seems to be a sign that he's mentally prepared to revitalize a career that has been spiraling downward for the past few years. If the 34-year-old outfielder is unable to right himself in the Braves clubhouse, his major league career will likely be over.

1B Adam LaRoche added 12 pounds of muscle during the offseason and feels he's regained some of the strength he lost after separating his shoulder last May.

3B Chipper Jones says his troublesome hamstring got healthy with rest during the offseason.

SOFT SPOT: Although Julio Franco will once again be around, the Braves could possibly find themselves very green on their bench. The 46-year-old Franco was one of the game's best pinch hitters last year. But age obviously has to be a concern regarding him every season. Other late-inning options to come off the bench will be youngsters Nick Green and Ryan Langerhans. Brian Jordan, who may platoon in left field with Langerhans, could be a good pinch hitter. But his health is another of the many concerns regarding the Braves bench.



Florida Marlins
RHP Jim Mecir, who turns 35 in May, considered retiring after he struggled at times last season with the A's. But after his body felt better late in the year, he decided to pitch at least one more year. Mecir enters his 12th season, and first in the National League. With the Marlins, Mecir will be a one or less inning pitcher. Even if he faces one batter in an inning, his body is at the point where he isn't comfortable returning for the next inning. Because he throws a screwball, Mecir could at times take on the role of a situational lefty.

To get his arm speed back up, RHP Tim Spooneybarger is working on an assortment of long-toss drills designed to accelerate his motion. After missing all of 2004 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, Spooneybarger is being brought back slowly. He is expected to be a factor in the back end of the bullpen, but he may open the year at Class AAA Albuquerque to get his timing back.

The batting order is shaping up to feature speedsters, CF Juan Pierre and 2B Luis Castillo, as batting first and second. But that isn't a given on a regular basis. C Paul Lo Duca, who puts the ball in play and has more pop than Castillo, also is suited to bat second. If the Marlins do that on occasion, Castillo could drop to seventh, which would give speed and a proven .300 hitter to the bottom of the order.

SOFT SPOT: A void was created backing up C Paul Lo Duca after dependable veteran C Mike Redmond signed with the Twins. Lo Duca has a history of wearing down, and that is a concern in steamy South Florida. Non-roster invitee Mike DiFelice has the most MLB experience, but his big league opportunities were minimal last year. Still, because he has the reputation of being solid defensively, he likely has the inside edge over more inexperienced Matt Treanor and Josh Willingham, a converted infielder who has caught two seasons. Treanor spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues before getting a backup role last year. Offensively, Willingham has a terrific upside, but he isn't ready defensively to handle hard-throwers such as Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett. Lo Duca is situated to log a bunch of innings, which means he again may tire down the stretch.



New York Mets
Pedro Martinez stunned the Mets by arriving nine days earlier than the scheduled report date for pitchers and catchers. He spent that week working out and throwing with rookies and minor leaguers, which validates management's claims that he will be a positive influence in the clubhouse. Martinez is in the best shape he's been in for several years and has looked sharp during his early bullpen sessions.

Cuban pitcher Alay Soler will arrive late to camp because of visa problems. Though he established residency in the Dominican Republic, he's been having issues with immigration officials and his agent about paperwork needed to gain entry into the United States.

Though last year's top draft pick Phil Humber is in camp, don't expect him to stay. He'll get a taste of what camp is like before being sent back to the minor league side once cut downs begin next month.

SOFT SPOT: The bridge to Braden Looper and the long relief remains an Achilles heel, and based on the laundry list of non-roster invitees in camp, it doesn't figure to get much better any time soon. The list of available free agents was thin this winter and Omar Minaya, who has shown a willingness to spend, couldn't find anyone to throw any serious cash at. So, he's hoping Scott Strickland returns from Tommy John surgery or that Roberto Hernandez can find some movement on his 95-mph fastball. Unheralded Heath Bell may be an option if manager Willie Randolph keeps an open mind about giving a bullpen spot to a rookie.




Philadelphia Phillies
LF Pat Burrell insists his left wrist is fine, despite reports that he was experiencing discomfort in the offseason. He's been taking batting practice since early February without pain, though he'll tape his wrist as a precaution. The situation bears watching because Burrell passed on having surgery in the offseason.

1B Jim Thome said he's fully recovered from the many nagging injuries that affected him last season, especially his broken right middle finger. 1B Ryan Howard, blocked at first base by Thome, will play some left field this spring.

SOFT SPOT: After another frustrating year of leaving too many runners on base, the Phillies will concentrate on improvement this spring. Hitting coach Milt Thompson will emphasize using the center of the field, and many of the drills will serve as a reminder. Thompson wants to see the batters become less pull-oriented and concentrate on smacking line drives, a baseball constant.



Washington Nationals
One thing RHP Chad Cordero plans to stop doing is going for strikeouts so often. At times last year, Cordero would reach 0-2 on hitters but then have trouble putting them away. He would often find himself in a 3-2 hole. This year Cordero said he plans to reduce his pitch count and force the hitters to hit groundballs.

The Nationals acquired OF Alex Escobar from the White Sox in exchange for OF Jerry Owens last week. Escobar, once the top prospect in the Mets' organization, played in 46 games for Cleveland in 2004, but his season was cut short by a stress fracture in his right foot. He said he is healthy and should be ready to play when the exhibition season starts.

2B Jose Vidro, who has been in camp since Feb. 1, said that his right knee is getting better. He is already running on the treadmill and taking infield drills. On Sept. 8, Vidro had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

SOFT SPOT: For two consecutive seasons, manager Frank Robinson often complained about his bench and said it was overloaded with lefthanded hitters, too often leading to matchup problems in the late innings. Robinson also didn't like the fact that he had to rely on young pinch hitters late in games, and that he prefers veterans with some power. To fix the issue, interim G.M. Jim Bowden acquired some righthanded hitters who could be on the bench this year. Bowden picked up veterans Wil Cordero, Alex Arias, J.J. Davis, Jeffrey Hammonds and Escobar. All are capable of hitting for power and are accustomed to being bench players. All of these players could be given opportunities to revive or kick start their careers.

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