NL East report cards: Grading offseason moves

With spring training fast approaching, theScore's MLB editors hand out their offseason grades for each division. We begin with the National League East.

The NL East was one of the more unpredictable divisions in baseball last season: Washington began the year as the overwhelming World Series favorite, up-and-coming Miami and New York were considered wild-card threats, and no one knew what to expect from Atlanta and Philadelphia other than a lot of losses.

By the end of the year, the Marlins had gone through two managers, the Mets won the division, and the Nationals failed to make the playoffs. Perhaps the only predictable thing that did happen was the Phillies securing the top pick in this year's draft after losing 99 games.

With spring training less than three weeks away, and last year officially in the rear view, here's how each team performed this offseason:

Atlanta Braves

Key Arrivals: Ender Inciarte (trade), Dansby Swanson (trade), Erick Aybar (trade), Sean Newcomb (trade), A.J. Pierzynski (re-signed), Ian Krol (trade), Bud Norris (FA), Tyler Flowers (FA), Kyle Kendrick (FA), Kelly Johnson (FA)

Key Departures: Andrelton Simmons (LAA), Cameron Maybin (DET), Shelby Miller (ARI), Ross Detwiler (CLE), Christian Bethancourt (SD)

140-character takeaway: The Braves did something funny this offseason in their efforts to improve the future: They got better now, too (offensively, at least).

Grade: A+

Miami Marlins

Key Arrivals: Wei-Yin Chen (FA), Chris Johnson (FA), Edwin Jackson (FA)

Key Departures: Henderson Alvarez (OAK)

140-character takeaway: Miami's crown jewel of the offseason wasn't Chen or any other player; it was new hitting coach, and all-time home run champion, Barry Bonds.

Grade: B+

New York Mets

Key Arrivals: Yoenis Cespedes (re-signed), Asdrubal Cabrera (FA), Neil Walker (trade), Antonio Bastardo (FA), Bartolo Colon (re-signed), Alejandro De Aza (FA)

Key Departures: Juan Uribe (FA), Daniel Murphy (WAS), Michael Cuddyer (retirement), Tyler Clippard (FA), Kelly Johnson (ATL), Jon Niese (PIT)

140-character takeaway: Signing Cespedes was key, but perhaps more important were the moves up the middle. Walker-for-Niese is one of the steals of the offseason.

Grade: A

Philadelphia Phillies

Key Arrivals: Mark Appel (trade), Vincent Velasquez (trade), Brett Oberholtzer (trade), Charlie Morton (trade), David Hernandez (FA), Jeremy Hellickson (trade)

Key Departures: Ken Giles (HOU), Cliff Lee (FA), Aaron Harang (FA)

140-character takeaway: By trading its best pitcher from 2015, Philly could be in line for a second straight No. 1 pick. Third in four years if you count Appel.

Grade: B

Washington Nationals

Key Arrivals: Daniel Murphy (FA), Ben Revere (trade), Stephen Drew (FA), Trevor Gott (trade), Yusmeiro Petit (FA), Shawn Kelley (FA), Oliver Perez (FA)

Key Departures: Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Drew Storen (TOR), Denard Span (SF), Doug Fister (HOU), Ian Desmond (FA), Yunel Escobar (LAA)

140-character takeaway: The Nats lost more than they gained this winter, especially considering the ones that got away. Biggest miss was not getting a No. 2 OF.

Grade: C