There are two ways to look at the NL East this winter.
Technically, no division has spent more money in free agency. Through that lens, the NL East is a behemoth, a juggernaut, a financial force of nature.
However, an overwhelming amount of that spending went to one man: Juan Soto. Remove Soto from the equation, and the division’s $972.75 million outlay shrinks to $207.75 million, a smaller figure than that of the AL East, AL West and NL West.
That points to a bigger story. Besides Soto, this division, which sent three teams to the playoffs in 2024, has been relatively inactive so far this offseason.
Let’s go team by team and break down how the Phillies, Mets, Braves, Nationals and Marlins have approached the offseason so far.
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Philadelphia Phillies
Major moves:
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Acquired SP Jesús Luzardo via trade from the Miami Marlins
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Signed RP Jordan Romano to a 1-year deal
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Signed OF Max Kepler to a 1-year deal
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Signed SP/RP Joe Ross to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: B-
The defending NL East champs entered the offseason much earlier than they would’ve liked, thudding out of the playoffs in a dispiriting NLDS loss to the Mets on Oct. 9. In the aftermath, all reports indicated that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski would oversee a roster refresh in the winter. For the second consecutive October, the Phillies’ vaunted offense had imploded on the big stage beneath an avalanche of strikeouts. Shaking things up seemed logical, prudent. Veteran stalwarts such as Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner wouldn’t be dealt, but All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm — whose late-season struggles resulted in a surprise NLDS benching — was rumored to be available via trade.
But a deal never materialized, not for Bohm or any other member of the Phillies’ lineup. Instead, Dombrowski doubled down on starting pitching, reinforcing what was already a strength of his club. Acquiring Jesús Luzardo to be the team’s No. 5 starter could prove to be a real needle-moving transaction. 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 limited him in 2024, but Luzardo is one season removed from being one of the game’s more effective starters.
On offense, the signing of Max Kepler on a one-year deal to be the everyday left fielder represents Philadelphia’s only significant addition. Kepler, like Luzardo, was stymied by…