The state of the NL East heading into spring training

We've been surmising all winter that the National League East is going to be a beast in 2021. And now that winter is turning into spring (at least, in Florida and Arizona) we're starting to get a true sense of what each of the division's five clubs will actually look like this season.

That was especially true Friday when the Nationals' two likeliest challengers were directly involved in the two biggest free agent signings of the day: Marcell Ozuna, who went back to the Braves for four years and $65 million, and Trevor Bauer, who shunned the Mets in favor of the Dodgers for an eye-popping three-year, $102 million deal that includes opt-outs at the end of each season.

There's still time and there are still enough prominent unsigned free agents for things to change, but for now let's take a look at where the NL East's five teams stand with spring training fast approaching ...

NATIONALS
Key additions: Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester, Brad Hand, Alex Avila

Key losses: Howie Kendrick, Kurt Suzuki, Adam Eaton, Aníbal Sánchez, Eric Thames, Asdrúbal Cabrera, Michael A. Taylor, Sean Doolittle

Strengths: The rotation once again has the potential to be elite, if Stephen Strasburg returns healthy, Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin return to their 2019 form and Lester proves he still has something left in the tank. The bullpen looks as strong on paper as it's been entering a season in some time. Juan Soto and Trea Turner are one of the best 1-2 offensive combos in baseball.

Weaknesses: The lineup has a whole lot of question marks after Soto and Turner. The Nats didn't do much to improve what was the majors' worst defense in 2020. They're relying on a bunch of veterans to stay healthy and productive, which is no small risk.

Outlook: The 2021 Nationals could be great, or they could be awful. So much rests on the shoulders of the rotation. If the big-name starters are great, the team will be great. If not, they're going to need a lot of production from a lineup lacking in sure things. If everything comes together nicely, they'll be right in the hunt for a postseason berth. But if a few things go wrong, it could be a long summer.

BRAVES
Key additions: Charlie Morton, Drew Smyly

Key losses: Adam Duvall, Tyler Flowers, Shane Greene, Mark Melancon, Darren O'Day, Nick Markakis, Charlie Culberson

Strengths: The lineup remains an absolute bear for opposing pitchers to deal with, headlined by NL MVP Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr. and the just re-signed Ozuna. A rotation featuring three young studs (Max Fried, Ian Anderson, Kyle Wright) added an experienced October veteran in Morton. The bullpen is solid and could still see one or more free agents return to boost that group even more.

Weaknesses: With Mike Soroka recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, they don't have a big-time, proven ace leading the rotation. With no DH expected this season, they're going to have to play Ozuna in left field every day.

Outlook: It seems safe to say this team is going to be good, no matter what. That lineup is so intimidating. And the pitching should be good enough. Best-case scenario, these guys could win 100 games. Worst-case scenario, they're still going to be in the thick of the race.

METS
Key additions: Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, James McCann, Joey Lucchesi, Trevor May, Aaron Loup

Key losses: Rick Porcello, Wilson Ramos, Justin Wilson, Michael Wacha, Juan Lagares, Todd Frazier, Yoenis Céspedes

Strengths: There's a lot of thunder in a lineup that already had Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith and has now added Lindor. Carrasco joins ace Jacob deGrom and returning righty Marcus Stroman to create a formidable trio atop the rotation, with Noah Syndergaard projected to return from Tommy John surgery sometime in the summer.

Weaknesses: They're still counting on Edwin Díaz to anchor the bullpen. The back of the rotation (Lucchesi, David Peterson) has much to prove, and who knows what Syndergaard will look like when he returns. Despite the excitement of new ownership willing to spend big bucks, they missed out on all the top free agent targets (Bauer, J.T. Realmuto, George Springer) and had to fire their brand-new general manager amid a sexual harassment scandal.

Outlook: Like the Nationals, there's a lot of potential variance with the Mets this season. They could be great, or they could be a mess. They certainly look improved, and the Lindor addition is huge. But a lot of things could go wrong, and the bullpen is high on that list. In addition to all that, they're still the Mets. And aside from one glorious late-season surge in 2015, their recent history includes way more flops than smash hits.

PHILLIES
Key additions: Archie Bradley, Matt Moore, José Alvarado, Chase Anderson

Key losses: Jake Arrieta, Jay Bruce, Brandon Workman, Tommy Hunter, Adam Morgan

Strengths: Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius and Andrew McCutchen. That's a pretty good foundation for a lineup. Aaron Nola is a solid No. 1 to lead the rotation, and Zack Wheeler is a proven starter behind him.

Weaknesses: Can they pitch? The rotation depth is thin, and the bullpen (which was historically bad last year) so far has only added Bradley and Alvarado.

Outlook: On the bright side, they were able to re-sign Realmuto and Gregorius. On the down side, they really didn't add much of anything new that's going to make a huge difference. There's enough thunder in the lineup to score a lot of runs, but is a pitching staff that looks a lot like the 2020 staff going to be good enough to prevent the opposition from outslugging them?

MARLINS
Key additions: Anthony Bass, Adam Cimber, Ross Detwiler

Key losses: Brandon Kintzler, José Ureña, Brad Boxberger, Ryne Stanek

Strengths: Young talent in their rotation. Sixto Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara and Pablo López are all 25 or younger and have bright futures. They've got a solid heart to their lineup with Starling Marté, Brian Anderson and Jesús Aguilar, plus the always professional Miguel Rojas.

Weaknesses: There's not a lot of depth. There's not a lot of power in the lineup. The bullpen is actually filled with 30-somethings, a big departure from the youth in the rotation.

Outlook: The Marlins were baseball's feel-good story last year and surprisingly made the expanded playoff field. Now, can they do it over a 162-game season? There are things to like here, especially the top of the rotation. But you have to wonder if their depth will be exposed over a full season.