If only Greg Maddux was available, Atlanta would have there own version of Led Zeppelin reunion. Tom Glavine has returned to Braves to join John Smoltz and in some people’s eyes, shifting the balance of power towards Atlanta. Atlanta only comes in third in the NL East to bettors at Sportsbook.com at 3-1. With these two greybeards and 36-year old Chipper Jones, these Braves have to play with real urgency. Philadelphia is the reigning division champs, literally stealing pennant on final day. The batting order will still produce with Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard (especially at Citizens Bank Park), however an unstable starting staff, combined with unknown bullpen begs questions. What will the Mets psyche be in 2008? It’s easy to paint them as division champions and 2-1 favorite to represent the National League, but will they believe? Johan Santana helps, if he pitches like he did before last season. Washington GM Jim Bowden wanted to make a splash in opening new ballpark and made a series of moves that are viewed as combustible, meaning they could go either way. The local nine is an odd assortment, giving manager Manny Acta plenty to think about. The Florida Marlins are like the person who buys lottery tickets every day, you almost always lose, except for picking up a few winning tickets now and again.  Here's a look at each of the teams in the NL East Division, including 2007 key stats and situational records, offseason moves, projected lineups, plus keys and predictions for 2008.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Division: NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Manager: BOBBY COX
LOCAL TEAM NEWS LINK
2007 Record: 84-78 (0.519), +-8.7 ML Units (#17 of 30)
2007 Totals (O-U-P): 81-71-10
StatFox Power Rating: : 110 (#6 of 30)
Sportsbook.com Season Wins Prop: Over 85 (-125)/Under 85 (-105)

2007 Situational Records:

Key 2007 Team Stats:

Arrivals: LHP Tom Glavine, RHP Jair Jurrjens, RHP Will Ohman, IF Omar Infante, OF Mark Kotsay
Departures: OF Andruw Jones, SS Edgar Renteria, IF Chris Woodward, IF Willy Abar, RHP Jose Ascanio, RHP Joey Devine, OF Willie Harris, IF Pete Orr, RHP Oscar Villareal

Projected Starters:

Projected Rotation:

Projected Closer:

Strengths: The Braves have a nice mix of veterans, youngsters, as well as good depth. Teixeira and Chipper Jones give them what every team covets - power at the infield corners. ... Escobar is an up-and-coming shortstop that made Edgar Renteria expendable. ... Johnson is a good leadoff hitter and made a successful transition from the outfield to second base. ... Francoeur is an RBI machine and won his first Gold Glove last season. ... The top the rotation is strong with Smoltz, Hudson and Glavine. ... Chipper Jones led the National League with an astounding OPS of 1.029 - only Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena, Boston's David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees recorded better numbers ... McCann is one of the best offensive backstops in the league at the tender age of 24. ... Peter Moylan fared extremely well last season (1.80 ERA in 80 games) and is an exceptional setup man.

Weaknesses: There is a gaping hole in center field where perennial Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones used to play. Jones left for greener pastures, and the Braves have decided to replace him with the oft-injured Mark Kotsay. ... Kotsay is not the long term solution though as the Braves have a slew of young outfielders ready to contribute - namely top prospect Jordan Schafer. ... Jones is aging and injury-prone - he hasn't played in more than 137 games since 2003. ... Soriano is a first-time closer. ... Hampton, 35, has not pitched since 2005 due to a slew of injuries. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last pitcher at least 35 years of age to miss two full seasons and win at least 10 games was Schoolboy Rowe, who went 11-4 in 1946 for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rotation Outlook: Smoltz is the ace of the staff and showed last season that he still has plenty left in the tank. He tossed over 200 innings for the third straight season since being re-inserted to the rotation. ... Glavine returns to the place where he began his future Hall of Fame career. He will bring stability to the No. 3 slot that James held down last season, but the memory of his stinker from the last day of the 2007 season still lingers. ... Hudson rebounded from his horrid 2006 season by winning 16 games last year. ... James was inconsistent last season and should benefit from sliding into the fourth slot. ... The fifth spot belongs to the injury-prone Hampton. ... Jurrjens, who was acquired in the Renteria trade, has impressed this spring and adds depth.

Bullpen Situation: : With Wickman gone, Soriano assumed the closer's role late last season. He thrived in that position, posting a 1-0 record with three saves and a minuscule 0.69 ERA in September. The long ball hampered Soriano though - he allowed 12 home runs in 72 innings. ... The bridge to Soriano will be missing a link until Gonzalez comes back. ... Moylan was a workhorse last season and is one of the better setup men in baseball. ... Will Ohman was acquired from the Chicago Cubs, and may serve in Gonzalez's role at the start of the season. ... Manny Acosta had a solid rookie season (2.38 ERA in 23 2/3 innings) and will be counted on more heavily. ... Tyler Yates and Anthony Lerew will work in long relief.

Projected Finish: Second in NL East

FLORIDA MARLINS

Division: NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Manager: FREDI GONZALEZ
LOCAL TEAM NEWS LINK
2007 Record: 71-91 (0.438), +-12.4 ML Units (#20 of 30)
2007 Totals (O-U-P): 90-64-8
StatFox Power Rating: : 87 (#25 of 30)
Sportsbook.com Season Wins Prop: Over 69.5 (-115)/Under 69.5 (-115)

2007 Situational Records:

Key 2007 Team Stats:

Arrivals: LHP Andrew Miller, OF Cameron Maybin, RHP Mark Hendrickson, IF Jose Castillo, C Mike Rabelo, 3B Dallas McPherson.
Departures: LHP Dontrelle Willis, 3B Miguel Cabrera, IF Aaron Boone, C Miguel Olivo.

Projected Starters:

Projected Rotation:

Projected Closer:

Strengths: The young and seemingly forever-rebuilding Marlins can score runs in bunches. The sparkplug of the offense is Ramirez, who probably would have received greater MVP consideration if the Marlins were any good. He just missed a 30-home run, 50-double, 50-steal season. Ramirez, who is coming off shoulder surgery, had 29 home runs - the third most in history for a 50-steal man. ... Uggla has provided quite a power surge with 58 home runs and 178 RBI in his first two seasons. ... Willingham is one of the best, yet unheralded clean-up men in the game. ... Jacobs is an emerging talent with tons of potential. ... Gregg was superb last season, posting an .889 save percentage after taking over the rotating closer's role in May. ... The bullpen has several good arms that bring serious heat. Taylor Tankersley, who is the team's closer of the future, had a 1.46 ERA in 25 second-half appearances last season.

Weaknesses: The Marlins' 137 errors were the most in the majors last season. ... The rotation posted a 5.58 ERA - the worst mark in the majors last season. ... Florida has plenty of power, but it recorded an astonishing number of strikeouts.  In 2007 the Marlins struck out a major-league high and franchise-worst 1,332 times. ... Willis' departure leaves a huge hole at the top of the rotation. ... Now that Cabrera is also gone, there is a huge void at third base. Jorge Cantu, who hit 28 homers in 2005 with Tampa Bay, is likely to be platooned with Luis Castillo. ... New additions Rabelo and Maybin may not be ready, but will likely start on Opening Day. Both were acquired in the Cabrera/Willis trade. Maybin hit just .143 in 49 at-bats last season and may need more time in the minors but there aren't many other options to play center field.

Rotation Outlook: With Willis in Detroit and injuries hitting hard, the Marlins are searching for an Opening Day starter.  The fiery lefthander Olsen was a candidate, but is out with left shoulder tendinitis and likely will not be ready. Mitre was another choice, but he is now out until at least June with a right forearm strain. The No. 3 starter Hendrickson is the front-runner, though the club has not made a decision yet. ... The fourth spot will likely go to Miller, who was acquired from Detroit in the Willis/Cabrera trade. ... The Marlins' top two pitching prospects, Chris Volstad and Gabby Hernandez, are part of a slew of pitchers battling for the fifth spot. Volstad (3-0, 1.13 ERA) has had a strong spring and seems to have the inside track.

Bullpen Situation: : Gregg provided some much-needed stability at closer last season, as he converted 28 of 32 save chances after he took over in May. ... Matt Lindstrom can reach triple digits and has emerged as the top setup man. The 28-year-old righthander, who posted a 2.35 ERA after the All-Star break, would be next in line if Gregg were to falter. ... Tankersley performed well in the second half last season (1.48 ERA) and is the top lefty option. ... RHP Henry Owens, who served as the closer at one point last season, will work in middle relief. ... RHP Justin Miller was a favorite of manager Fredi Gonzalez after being claimed of waivers last season. ... LHP Renyel Pinto throws hard, but has command issues.

Projected Finish: Fourth in NL East

NEW YORK METS

Division: NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Manager: WILLIE RANDOLPH
LOCAL TEAM NEWS LINK
2007 Record: 88-74 (0.543), +-12.3 ML Units (#19 of 30)
2007 Totals (O-U-P): 76-79-7
StatFox Power Rating: : 99 (#16 of 30)
Sportsbook.com Season Wins Prop: Over 92.5 (-115)/Under 92.5 (-115)

2007 Situational Records:

Key 2007 Team Stats:

Arrivals: LHP Johan Santana, RHP Matt Wise, OF Ryan Church, OF Angel Pagan, C Brian Schneider, LHP Ruddy Lugo, RHP Brian Stokes, OF Brady Clark, 1B Olmedo Saenz, RHP Tony Armas Jr., RHP Steven Register
Departures: C Paul Lo Duca, LHP Tom Glavine, OF Lastings Milledge, RHP Guillermo Mota, OF Carlos Gomez, RHP Philip Humber

Projected Starters:

Projected Rotation:

Projected Closer:

Strengths: The addition of Santana gives the Mets one of the best rotations in the National League. Santana went 82-35 to record the best mark in baseball over the last five years. ... The offense is one of the most potent in the NL. ... Reyes is one of the best leadoff men in the game. He had 78 steals last season, which was the most in the majors since Marquis Grissom in 1992. The combination of Reyes, Beltran and Wright helped the Mets lead the majors in steals last season (200). ... Beltran is an RBI machine and a Gold Glove center fielder. ... Wright was an MVP candidate and was one of the few Mets who excelled in September last season. He hit .352 with six homers in the final month of the campaign. ... Wagner is still one of the best closers in the NL.

Weaknesses: The Mets are an aging, injury-prone team and their lack of depth is already a concern. ... The 41-year-old Alou, who missed two months of last season with a strained quadriceps, will miss Opening Day and the first few weeks of the season while he recovers from hernia surgery. ... Delgado, who was hampered by a hip injury in spring training, is coming off his worst season in 12 years. ... The rotation has a pair of aging, injury-prone pitchers in Martinez and Hernandez. ... With Humber and Kevin Mulvey gone, there isn't much other than Mike Pelfrey in the way of reinforcements if injuries hit the rotation. ... Acquiring Santana drained the Mets' farm system, so the team will be hard-pressed to make a deal prior to the trade deadline.

Rotation Outlook: A two-time Cy-Young Award winner, Santana is the stopper that the Mets desperately needed while they were blowing a 7 1/2-game lead with 17 contests to play in September.  The Mets' rotation posted an embarrassing 6.49 ERA in the season's final month. Ironically, Santana's 3.33 ERA last season was his worst in five years. ... Martinez (3-1, 2.57 ERA in five starts) look good at the end of last season, but his health is always a concern. ... After winning 15 games as the No. 2 starter, Maine will have less pressure on him this season. ... Ditto for the inconsistent Perez, who was second in the National League with an average of 8.85 strikeouts. ... Hernandez has plagued by injuries for years.

Bullpen Situation: : The bullpen, which had been overused and helped contribute to the Mets' late-season collapse, will benefit greatly from the innings Santana should eat up. ... Wagner, who posted a 6.23 ERA in August, was hampered by back spasms but is still capable of being dominant. ... The return of setup man RHP Duaner Sanchez, who missed all of 2007 while recovering from shoulder surgery, could be huge if he can regain his 2006 form. ... Pedro Feliciano is one of the best lefthanded specialists in the game. Lefthanders hit just .168 off him with one home run in 85 at-bats last season. ... RHP Aaron Heilman, who recorded a 2.27 ERA after the All-Star break last season, will continue to serve as the setup man for Wagner.

Projected Finish: First in NL East

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Division: NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Manager: CHARLIE MANUEL
LOCAL TEAM NEWS LINK
2007 Record: 89-76 (0.539), +6.7 ML Units (#7 of 30)
2007 Totals (O-U-P): 87-69-9
StatFox Power Rating: : 107 (#10 of 30)
Sportsbook.com Season Wins Prop: Over 87 (-115)/Under 87 (-115)

2007 Situational Records:

Key 2007 Team Stats:

Arrivals: RHP Brad Lidge, 3B Pedro Feliz, IF Eric Bruntlett, RHP Chad Durbin, OF Geoff Jenkins, OF So Taguchi, RHP Kris Benson
Departures: RHP Antonio Alfonseca, C Rod Barajas, OF Michael Bourn, RHP Freddy Garcia, RHP Geoff Geary, 2B Tadahito Iguchi, RHP Jon Lieber, RHP Kyle Lohse, RHP Jose Mesa, 3B Abraham Nunez, OF Aaron Rowand

Projected Starters:

Projected Rotation:

Projected Closer:

Strengths: A lineup that features the past two NL MVPs (Howard, Rollins) and a third legitimate candidate (Utley) is a nightmare for opposing pitchers. The trio gives Philadelphia one of the top offensive infields in the league. ... Last season, Rollins became only the fourth player in history to have at least 20 home runs, 20 triples, 20 doubles and 20 steals. ... Citizen's Bank Park provides a huge advantage for the Phillies, who led the National League in runs (892). ... Howard showed up to camp 15 pounds lighter and should continue to post significant numbers. He has averaged 52 homers and 142 RBI in his first two seasons. ... Hamels, who has one of the best changeups in the game, is a budding star. ... The return of Myers to the rotation is a big boost and should add 13-15 wins to a rotation desperate for a complement to Hamels.

Weaknesses: The Phillies need to improve a pitching staff which had the worst ERA (4.76) of any playoff team last season. ... The bullpen is merely average. ... Injuries are a concern, as Hamels, Howard, Myers, Utley, Gordon, Eaton and Ryan Madson all spent time on the disabled list in 2007. ... Eaton struggled mightily last season and is one of the reasons the rotation is not up to par. ... Gordon is past his prime as a closer, but will assume the role while Lidge recovers from knee surgery. ... Citizen's Bank Park, which provided a big plus for the offense, is a problem for the Phillies' pitching staff.

Rotation Outlook: Hamels is the clear-cut ace, and has a terrific changeup. He won 15 games despite missing time with an elbow injury. The 24-year-old also held hitters to a .283 OBP - the third lowest among starters. ... Myers' return is long overdue.  He was the closer last season when the Phillies clearly needed him in the starting rotation, and should add at least 15 wins and over 200 innings. ... The 45-year-old Moyer continues to get the job done - he has won 10 games or more in 11 of the last 12 seasons. ... Kendrick went from Class AA to the majors and won 10 games. He will get a chance to prove it was no fluke. ... Eaton posted a 6.29 ERA last season - which was the worst among big league starters. Should Eaton continue to falter, the Phillies might look to J.D. Durbin or J.A. Happ to take his place. Chad Durbin or Travis Blackley could also claim the No. 5 spot.

Bullpen Situation: : Just like the starting rotation, the bullpen had its struggles throughout the majority of last season. Lidge, who was acquired from Houston, had a second surgery on his right knee after he injured it during spring training. ... Madson, who missed time with a shoulder injury in 2007, will now be the setup man for Gordon. ... J.C. Romero went 1-2 with a 1.24 ERA in 51 games after being signed on June 23. ... Mike Zagurski is a promising young lefthander that will provide middle relief.

Projected Finish: Third in NL East

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Division: NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Manager: MANNY ACTA
LOCAL TEAM NEWS LINK
2007 Record: 73-89 (0.451), +15.2 ML Units (#5 of 30)
2007 Totals (O-U-P): 68-78-16
StatFox Power Rating: : 92 (#22 of 30)
Sportsbook.com Season Wins Prop: Over 71 (-130)/Under 71 (even)

2007 Situational Records:

Key 2007 Team Stats:

Arrivals: OF Eljah Dukes, C Johnny Estrada, OF Willie Harris, C Paul Lo Duca, OF Lastings Milledge, OF Rob Mackowiak, IF Aaron Boone, RHP Tyler Clippard
Departures: 3B Tony Batista, OF Ryan Church, 1B Robert Fick, OF Nook Logan, C Brian Schneider, RHP Jason Simontacchi

Projected Starters:

Projected Rotation:

Projected Closer:

Strengths: The Nationals showed a lot of grit last season, finishing 64-64 after a 9-25 start. Manager Manny Acta deserves a great deal of credit for getting the most out of his players. ... Zimmerman is one of the elite third basemen in the National League and will benefit from a more friendly ball park. ... Milledge is back at his natural position of center field and has a great deal of potential. As does Dukes, who will start in left field while Pena recovers from an abominal tear. ... Cordero is a solid closer and anchors a bullpen that ranked fourth in the NL with a 3.81 ERA last season. ... Young had an All-Star season in 2007 and will be pushed by the return of Nick Johnson from a broken leg. ... Harris is coming off a solid season and is very versatile.

Weaknesses: The rotation was ravaged by injuries last season, resulting in the second-worst ERA in the NL (5.11). ... The 43 wins by starting pitchers was the third-fewest in the majors. The Nationals set a major-league record with 588 pitching changes. Washington pitchers will no longer have the luxury of pitching in the league's friendliest pitchers' park. ... Washington struggled to score runs last season as its 4.15 runs per game were the worst in baseball. That number goes hand in hand with its horrid leadoff hitters, who were also last in baseball with a .308 OBP. ... The bullpen is strong, but Ray King is the only lefty. Hill has not completed a full season at any level in the last five years. ... Injuries have limited former ace Patterson to 15 starts over the last two seasons.

Rotation Outlook: The Nationals are still hampered by some of last season's injuries. The Nos. 1 and 2 starters (Hill and Patterson) both had ulnar nerve surgery last season and are still recovering. Hill will not be ready for Opening Day vs. Atlanta. ... Bergmann, who missed time with elbow soreness last season, will be the No. 3 starter but may get the call to start the season. Chico led the Nationals with 31 starts and showed flashes of brilliance at times. .... Lannan and journeyman Tim Redding round out the rotation. Redding had a respectable 3.64 ERA in 15 starts in 2007. Lannan, the Nationals' minor league pitcher of the year, went 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA in six starts last season.

Bullpen Situation: : This is one area where Washington excels. ... Because of injuries to the rotation, the Nationals' relievers were the second busiest bunch in the league in 2007 - compiling 590 2/3 innings. Only Texas relievers were required to do more. ... Cordero led the majors with nine blown saves, but is still a quality closer. ... Jon Rauch led the team with eight wins and is a key part of the bridge from the starters to Cordero. He has an over-powering fastball and was third in baseball with 33 holds in 2007. Saul Rivera and Luis Ayala are effective middle relief options. ... King is valuable since he is the lone lefty. ... Former starter Joel Hanrahan was moved to the bullpen last season and thrived.

Projected Finish: Fifth in NL East

* Divisional Previews were compiled by Steve Makinen & Doug Upstone with contributions from PA Sports Ticker.