NL East

The Atlanta Braves look like they are headed in a good direction after the signing of Dan Uggla, a scrappy power hitting right-handed second baseman.  The Braves definitely need some right-handed power in the middle of their order.  Someone like Uggla will increase production and also provide some protection for a youngster like Jason Heyward.

Coming to fans everywhere, the latest installment of Washington D.C. baseball...National Treasures: The Missing Strasburg. Starring the D-list celebrities of the fantasy baseball world: Livan “National League Harlot” Hernandez, Jordan “Not That Zimmerman” Zimmermann, and featuring Jason Marquis and John Lannan as trusty sidekicks.

Looking back at last year’s chapter of National Treasures, it seems like not many will buy into the 2011 version. 

It has been quite some time since I have wanted to write about the Mets.

Bleacher Report used to be my avenue to talk everything Mets, so much so, that I was once one of the original Mets featured columnists here on Bleacher Report.

By Todd Farino, www.thecloserreport.com

Well, here comes Drew Storen. 

Last February, I wrote about Storen and told my readers that he would eventually get called up, but wouldn't be the most effective pitcher in his rookie season.  In 2010, Storen put up solid numbers with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. 

By the end of the season, he was closing for the Nationals and saved five games in seven chances. 

Jayson Werth really loves No. 28. He feels such attachment to it, in fact, that when he sat down at the negotiating table with the Washington Nationals, he and his agent demanded that a clause in the contract guarantee him that jersey number. The Nats obliged, much to the dismay of first baseman/outfielder Mike Morse, who wore the number in 2010.

Mets manager Terry Collins has given us a glimpse into how he plans to use his players in 2011.

The Mets are looking forward to finally having a lineup that includes a healthy Jose Reyes, who says he expects to put up MVP-like numbers, Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran. All three are looking to come back from injuries that kept them out for parts of the 2010 season.

The Washington Nationals have been adding players to their team who the cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates have rejected at one time or another. These are players there were among the most volatile, but also among the most promising ones on their original team. And their specific quirks, plus those of Washington, make them particularly useful to the Nationals.

As I believed at the time, the Nats got the better of the Burnett and Nyjer Morgan for Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge deal in the summer of 2009.

Billy Wagner retired after the 2010 season, and what a shame.  He arguably had one of the finest years of his career and now he wrapped up to spend more time with his family.  God bless you, Billy. 

Now the Atlanta Braves must move on and they have to find a new closer.  While the Braves have a fine bullpen and a few good candidates for the job, Craig Kimbrel seems to be the favorite.  And the young flamethrower should be. 

The Metropolitans were seventh in team ERA (3.73) in 2010. Impressive right? You bet. But in fantasy terms, the Mets starting pitchers are merely irrelevant.

As for Johan Santana, who will likely miss the first half of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, it will be tough to determine what ADP (average draft position) is suitable.

With the sixth pick in the 2011 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, the Washington Nationals select …

…Taylor Jungmann?

Maybe.

While it is way too early to be making this kind of prediction, I’m going to anyway. And really, it does make a lot of sense.