MLB: NL East at a glance

A team-by-team look at the National League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:

Philadelphia Phillies

Manager: Charlie Manuel (eighth season).

2011: 102-60, first place, lost in division series.

Training Town: Clearwater, Fla.

Park: Bright House Field.

First Workout: Feb. 19/24.

He’s Here: RHP Jonathan Papelbon, RHP Chad Qualls, LHP Dontrelle Willis, 1B Jim Thome, INF Ty Wigginton, OF Laynce Nix, OF Juan Pierre, OF Scott Podsednik, RHP Joel Pineiro, RHP Brian Sanches.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Roy Oswalt, RHP Brad Lidge, OF Raul Ibanez, RHP Ryan Madson, OF Ross Gload, OF Ben Francisco, INF Wilson Valdez.

Going campin’: Five straight NL East titles have set the bar very high in Philadelphia. Anything less than a World Series championship isn’t considered a success for the Phillies. They set a franchise record for wins last year and have finished with the best record in the majors two straight years, but they’ve regressed each season since winning the World Series in 2008. They lost the World Series in 2009, were eliminated in the NLCS in 2010 and got knocked out in the first round last year. With aces Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels anchoring the rotation and new closer Papelbon in the fold, the Phillies have enough pitching to go deep. But hitting has been the team’s biggest problem in recent postseasons and the offense might be missing Ryan Howard at the start of the season as the big slugger recovers from an Achilles injury sustained on the final swing last year. With the Marlins and Nationals improved, it’ll be tougher for the Phillies to cruise to another division title. Still, they head to spring training as the team to beat in the East.

Atlanta Braves

Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (second season).

2011: 89-73, second place.

Training Town: Kissimmee, Fla.

Park: Champion Stadium.

First Workout: Feb. 20/25.

He’s Here: SS Tyler Pastornicky.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Derek Lowe, SS Alex Gonzalez, OF Nate McLouth, INF Brooks Conrad, RHP Scott Linebrink, LHP George Sherrill.

Going campin’: The Braves decided to stand pat after a historic collapse last September, when they gave away a seemingly safe lead in the wild-card race and missed the playoffs on the final day of the season. The only major change figures to be rookie Pastornicky taking over at shortstop for Alex Gonzalez. The rest of the lineup will look the same as 2010, when Atlanta failed to find any sort of consistent run production. Much of the attention this spring will be focused on right fielder Jason Heyward, who followed up a promising rookie season with a hugely disappointing sophomore campaign (.227, 14 homers, 42 RBIs). If Heyward bounces back — and he’s only 22 — the Braves’ lineup will look a lot more imposing, especially with Michael Bourn leading off for an entire season. Atlanta is also counting on second baseman Dan Uggla to avoid the dismal start that left him with a .233 average, even though he did lead the team with 36 homers and 82 RBIs. Third baseman Chipper Jones keeps chugging along as he approaches his 40th birthday, still providing pop in the middle of the order (.275, 18, 70). The strength of the team is undoubtedly the pitching staff, which might be even stronger now that Lowe, a 17-game loser, has been dealt to Cleveland. Tim Hudson, who had 16 wins, is coming off back surgery and may not be ready to go at the start of spring, but he’s not expected to miss an extended period. The Braves also will be keeping an eye on young starters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, both plagued by injuries at the end of last season but now insisting they’re fully healthy. There’s plenty of candidates for the final two spots in the rotation with Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran expected to compete in the spring. The bullpen was dominant most of the season with NL Rookie of the Year Craig Kimbrel (46 saves), Jonny Venters (1.84 ERA) and Eric O’Flaherty (0.98). But the trio faded down the stretch as the team slumped, and Gonzalez will be looking for ways to keep them fresh for the enti re year. Gonzalez will be under scrutiny, as well, after his debut season taking over for Bobby Cox ended with that awful September swoon.

Washington Nationals

Manager: Davey Johnson (first full season).

2011: 80-81, third place.

Training Town: Viera, Fla.

Park: Space Coast Stadium.

First Workout: Feb. 20/25.

He’s Here: RHP Edwin Jackson, LHP Gio Gonzalez, RHP Brad Lidge, OF Mike Cameron, INF Mark DeRosa, RHP Chad Durbin, INF-OF Mark Teahen.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Livan Hernandez, OF Jonny Gomes, RHP Todd Coffey, OF Laynce Nix.

Going campin’: All eyes will be on 19-year-old outfielder Bryce Harper, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 amateur draft. Will he make the club in spring training? Or, more likely, will he get some more seasoning in the minors first? After ending their streak of last-place finishes, the Nationals aim to finally be a factor and play meaningful games in September. Led by Stephen Strasburg, Washington’s rotation got much-needed boosts from Jackson and Gonzalez. Lidge joins a bullpen that already was a strength. Now the key will be whether the offense produces despite no major additions — unless, that is, Harper is on the opening-day roster.

New York Mets

Manager: Terry Collins (second season).

2011: 77-85, fourth place.

Training Town: Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Park: Digital Domain Park.

First Workout: Feb. 22/27.

He’s Here: CF Andres Torres, RHP Ramon Ramirez, RHP Frank Francisco, RHP Jon Rauch, INF Ronny Cedeno, C Rob Johnson, RHP Fernando Cabrera.

He’s Outta Here: SS Jose Reyes, CF Angel Pagan, LHP Chris Capuano, C Ronny Paulino, RHP Jason Isringhausen, OF Willie Harris, 1B-OF Nick Evans, RHP Chris Young.

Going campin’: Not long ago, the Mets spent their winters landing big-name prizes like Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran. Now they hunt for bargains — if they even shop at all. Coming off three straight losing seasons and mired in a financial mess, New York has slashed its bloated payroll below $100 million and started looking toward the future. The team’s owners are being sued for hundreds of millions of dollars by the trustee seeking money for victims of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme, with a trial set to start March 19. What happens in court could determine the club’s fate, overshadowing almost everything at spring training. After trading Rodriguez and Beltran last summer, the Mets didn’t even make a formal offer as Reyes, a homegrown star, left for a $106 million, six-year deal with the division-rival Marlins. The next big question is whether third baseman David Wright, the face of the franchise, will follow Reyes out the door. The team holds a $16 million club option for 2013, which gets voided if Wright is traded this year. Besides that issue, much of the focus this spring will be on Santana’s health. The two-time Cy Young Award winner hasn’t pitched in the majors since undergoing shoulder surgery in September 2010, and it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for opening day as the Mets prepare to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Most of the rotation, however, returns intact. New York will hope for a bounce-back season from RHP Mike Pelfrey and continued progress by LHP Jonathon Niese, RHP Dillon Gee and RF Lucas Duda. With the money they did spend in the offseason, the Mets tried to upgrade an ineffective bullpen. Francisco is the new closer. New York also moved in the fences at spacious Citi Field, hoping that will benefit Wright and big-money bust Jason Bay. Light-hitting youngster Ruben Tejada takes over for Reyes at shortstop, while New York tries to squeeze Daniel Murphy’s bat — and surgically repaired knees — in at second base. Promising 1B Ike Davis is expected back after missing most of last season with a slow-to-heal ankle injury. Still, fans are extremely frustrated. Or even worse, disinterested. And the situation could get worse before it gets better. This looks like a last-place team in the powerful NL East, where everyone else has been loading up.

Miami Marlins

Manager: Ozzie Guillen (first season).

2011: 72-90, fifth place.

Training Town: Jupiter, Fla.

Park: Roger Dean Stadium.

First Workout: Feb. 22/25.

He’s Here: Manager Ozzie Guillen, SS Jose Reyes, LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Carlos Zambrano, RHP Heath Bell, LHP Wade LeBlanc, RHP Chad Gaudin, OF Aaron Rowand, OF Austin Kearns.

He’s Outta Here: RHP Chris Volstad, RHP Clay Hensley, RHP Brian Sanches, RHP Burke Badenhop, C John Baker.

Going campin’: The Marlins have a new name, new ballpark and new manager. They also have a new financial philosophy that resulted in an offseason spending spree unprecedented in franchise history. Free-agent deals totaling $191 million netted the Marlins three All-Stars in Reyes, Buehrle and Bell. The Marlins also hired the outspoken Guillen and traded for the hotheaded Zambrano, ensuring lots of attention for a team that finished last in the NL in attendance each of the past seven years. The biggest spring training questions will be whether Guillen can sell All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez on a switch to third base to make room for Reyes, and whether ace RHP Josh Johnson is healthy. Johnson made only nine starts last year because of shoulder inflammation. The Marlins hope for signs this spring that second baseman Chris Coghlan can regain his 2009 NL Rookie of the Year form, and they’ll give speedy utilityman Emilio Bonifacio a tryout in center field. The bullpen should be much improved, and the rotation is set if Johnson’s healthy and Zambrano can take advantage of a fresh start.

Associated Press