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The NL East has been mostly quiet on the free-agent front this off-season. There may have been some rumors of signings, but we can expect much of the same players next season. So what does that mean? One, it means that the Braves and the Mets are already high-salaried and loaded. Two, it means that the rest of the division can’t afford more salaries. (The Phillies deserve their own category here because they obviously have the money to waste on Bottalico and Mesa.) This season we will see how much closer the young stars of the Marlins, Expos, and Phillies have gotten to the aging veterans of the Braves and Mets.
Atlanta Braves 1. Can Rico Brogna contribute offensively? Much has been made of signing Brogna to play first, but the question isn’t if he’s a capable major league player. Remember that in 1998 and 1999, Brogna hit over 20 homers and knocked in over 100 RBI’s. The question is whether his injury has healed enough for him to swing without pain. He doesn’t have to be a great hitter since he’s in the lineup with Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones. He’s just got to make a contribution. 2. Will John Smoltz have a successful return after sitting out a year? Anytime a pitcher has surgery on the throwing arm, there are questions as to if he will be able to play again. Many players return from surgery to be successful, and we can hope that Smoltz is one of them. Even so we could be looking at some time for him to build up strength. 3. Was last season just a sophomore jinx for Kevin Millwood? After a dominant 1999 season, Millwood was just mediocre in 2000, but most people believe that he will return to 1999 form this year. Mew York Mets 1. Does Timo Perez have what it takes? Some reports on Perez last season pointed out that he will probably not be successful against major league pitching the second time around. That is, pitchers will figure out the holes in his game, and he’ll be gone. If this is true, who’s the lead-off for the Mets? Payton? Agbayani? These guys can get on base, but they offer very little speed on the basepaths. 2. Can the Mets survive without Mike Hampton? It’s true that the Mets played their best baseball when Hampton came around later in the season. Although they grabbed two veteran pitchers in Kevin Appier and Steve Trachsel, Hampton can’t be replaced. The Mets still have an Ace in Al Leiter and a solid rotation with Glendon Rusch and Rick Reed.
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