We saw him out at a restaurant over the weekend and he has put on at least 25lbs of pure muscle.

He looks like a body builder.

If he hasn’t lost bat speed, he’s going to have a monster year esp if he gets protection from Beltran and Bay and a healthy Reyes on base in front of him

Was busy and missed this post, and I doubt many people are following this anymore, so this will be significantly shorter.

Phillies – This is their division to lose, and they are probably, on paper, the best team in the NL, but I’m not ready to assume they runaway with the division or the NL. Look, there’s a lot to like about this team. Even if Raul Ibanez is more the player he was in the 2nd half of last year, the offense should be fine. There’s a shot that top prospect Domonic Brown is ready by midseason if Raul Ibanez struggles. They probably have enough to piece together a platoon situation with say Ben Francisco if they have to.
The addition of Polanco should be a good thing as well. They’ve got more options to rotate in at the top of the lineup if need be.

Do they have the pitching? Probably. Hamels wasn’t bad last year. He was just worn down mentally, so a good offseason hopefully recharged him. Halladay/Hamels will be a great combo. Happ was overhyped last year, and the back of the rotation is middling, so they will need that pen to step up. I’m not completely sold on the pen, but while pen costs can be ridiculous come midseason (they’ll be searching for a lefty), it is an area that can be addressed midseason.

Here’s why I’m not yet ready to assume that they will run away with the division. The system isn’t that strong right now. A lot of raw talent lower down, but a lot of upper level assets dealt away. This is a team with a very thin margin for error. Yes, there’s Domonic Brown, but he also needs some time in the minors to refine his big time skills. Their ability to make trades may be limited, so can they fill the gaps if there is a serious injury?

All that said, still, on paper, the favorites in the NL and the NLE. I’ll guess 95 wins or so.

Florida Marlins – While I have them 2nd, this is really a transition year for them. With a loaded farm system, they are trying to bide time until their next wave of studs are ready. This isn’t, though, to suggest that this team can’t compete. They will be quite solid this year. The arrival of the highly rated Chris Coghlan addressed the top of the lineup. The return of Dan Uggla ensured that the middle of the lineup wouldn’t be too weakened.

The rotation is solid, led by one of the best young arms in the league in Josh Johnson. Overall, Nolasco didn’t have a bad year last year, and I expect him to “rebound” this year. There’s enough quality arms to fill out the last three spots in the rotation. The pen should be a bit more stable this year.

The system is solid, with some very top notch prospects at the top, but thinning out a bit. The chances of their top prospects being dealt are rather slim. There’s enough prospects to fill stopgap holes, and probably enough to make a solid move if they need to. I think they are probably good for something in the mid-80’s in terms of victories.

Atlanta Braves – I still don’t love the offense. The addition of some veteran bats like Glaus/Hinske could help. That said, this still feels like an offense that is going to be rather streaky, and I’m not sure the pitching staff is as dominant as suggested. Jurrjens was decent-solid last year, and is an intriguing young arm, but he’s more mid-rotation than a number 2. How good are Hudson and Hanson? Kawakami/Lowe fill out the back end. Overall, a solid rotation, but I think they need a dominant one to carry an inconsistent offense. The pen is likely to be weaker.

The system is great and Jason Heyward should help soon. It is a bit on the young side, though, and heavy on the arms, so the chances of help internally is likely limited to pen depth where an arm like Craig Kimbrel could really help. That said, they built up the starting depth for a reason.

I don’t expect Frank Wren to deal from his system unless it’s a great deal. This is a weird team to assess. I have them third, as I think Florida is a more complete team at the moment. That said, I don’t really see Florida having a shot to push Philadelphia … but I think Atlanta could if things break right. I think mid-80’s is a reasonable win expectation, but they have the range to get into the lower 90’s if they can address this offense.

New York Mets – I wanted to pick the Mets higher. I think they should be better by default. That said, I just can’t. Omar’s not a good GM, and this team seems stuck in mud. The offense should be alright, and maybe even good. The pen should be decent. The rotation? Don’t like it. The overall depth of the squad? Don’t like it.

This just feels like a team that could implode if a bad stretch happens, and hence why I have them 4th. On the positive side, the system looks headed in the right direction (on the negative side, Omar may use the system to give this year’s squad a shot). I think you have some of your usual overrated NY pieces, but the system is deeper and better than before, with a quality arm in Jenrry Mejia and Fernando Martinez is somewhat underhyped now. Ike Davis, IMO, has gotten a tad overhyped, but he’s a solid 1st base prospect.

Dunno, just a bad feel for this squad. It wouldn’t stun me if a collapse left them last in the NLE.

Washington Nationals – I am a big fan of Mike Rizzo. I believe he has them headed in the right direction. He melds old school with new school fairly well for a really old school type. Most importantly, he’s helped them start to restock that system, which got barren for a few years. It’s now looking solid.

Were all his offseason moves great? Debatable, but the intent behind them were right. A veteran catcher to help a young staff, and more importantly, help his young catcher. A cheap MI to buy time for your MI prospects. An innings eater to give your young arms time. 2 pen arms (don’t forget Bruney) to upgrade the huge issues last year. Some of those guys could also be trade bait come midseason.

That said, this team is very much looking towards 2011 when they could possibly have a rotation of Strasburg/Zimmerman/Wang/Lannan/Marquis, with a pen that could have Storen anchoring it. That team could have a young MI in place.

This team, though, will be far more competitive and play spoiler. The defense should be better. A full season of Nyjer Morgan will really help. The offense should be better. Again, let’s point to Nyjer. He’ll lead off, get on base, and help Willingham/Dunn/Zimmerman drive in runs. The return of Wang in late May, along with the call-up of Strasburg that should happen in the summer, will really help.

No, they won’t push for the playoffs. There’s a chance some assets will be dealt off. I really was hoping Ian desmond would start the year as their shortstop, but there’s a good chance he’ll be up at midseason, with Guzman and maybe Kennedy as trade bait. There’s a chance Josh or Adam are dealt. A lot of possibilities exist, but if they push for .500ish (high 70’s wins) … don’t be surprised.