2014 spring training: Noah Syndergaard, Andrew Heaney lead NL East NRIs

Familiar face: Mat Gamel. The former fourth round pick and top prospect (he ranked as high as 34th on Baseball America's top 100 list) looks to find purchase in Atlanta after flaming out in Milwaukee. Gamel has a career line of .229/.305/.367 with six career home runs and has suffered myriad maladies in short tenure at the major league level, undergoing surgery three times in the last five years. A failed third baseman with major knee surgery in his past, Gamel is best suited for first base, making his best role in Atlanta a bench one with Freddie Freeman entrenched as a starter.

Keep an eye on: Tommy La Stella. Older than most prospects when he first reached the high minors, La Stella has a chance to move quickly as the Braves will want to see what they have. On top of that, they have an aging, declining veteran slotted in front of La Stella, making this something of a position battle. He'd have to come out guns blazing in spring training, but with an above-average hit tool, strong knowledge of the strike zone (111 walks to 88 strikeouts in the minors) and a solid glove, he'd likely be an upgrade over Dan Uggla in every facet except power. Pitcher J.R. Graham is another name to look for as the undersized starter looks to bounce back from a shoulder injury. He generates a ton of groundballs and throws in the mid 90s, and could be an option in the rotation or the bullpen should the need arise.

Familiar face: Kevin Slowey. The Marlins bring Slowey back after he appeared in 20 games for them last season, starting 14. He recorded a 4.11 ERA in those starts, but pitched a bit better than that with a 3.81 FIP. Either represents a drastic improvement over his previous season in the majors when he compiled a 6.67 ERA. Ever the control artist, Slowey walked a mere 18 batters in 92 innings, striking out 76 in 92 innings, but was undone as usual by the long ball, giving up 12 home runs. He'll battle for a rotation spot in spring training.

Keep an eye on: Andrew Heaney. The ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Heaney has rocketed through the minors, spending time at High-A and Double-A last season. He recorded a 1.60 ERA between the two levels and has a 2.21 career ERA since turning professional. While it may seem hasty to talk about Heaney as a rotation option, we can't rule anything out after the Marlins promoted Jose Fernandez to the majors straight from High-A last year. Heaney projects to have a well above-average fastball as well as two plus offspeed pitches. As a polished product he could see the majors as soon as this season.

Familiar face: Kyle Farnsworth. GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE! At 38 years old, the good professor is giving it another go. The Mets bring him in following two subpar seasons; a 4.00 ERA in 2012, and a 4.70 ERA in 2013, though he posted a 2.18 ERA with good peripherals in 2011. He also showed signs of life when he latched on with Pittsburgh last year, albeit in a small sample, as he allowed one run in 8 2/3 innings, striking out nine, earning two saves in the process. The Mets have been on the prowl for bullpen help this offseason, making it feasible for Farnsworth to crack their roster. He'd add experience to a bullpen that otherwise features Bobby Parnell coming off an injury and nine professional season spread out over the other five members.

Keep an eye on: Noah Syndergaard. Acquired in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto, Syndergaard acclimated quickly to the Mets system, posting a combined 3.06 ERA and 133 strikeouts over 117 2/3 frames across two levels. The tall Texan (6'6) overpowers hitters with a plus-plus fastball, and has the potential for two plus secondaries in his curve and change. He likely won't break with the team in camp, but that doesn't mean he's not worth watching. Not only will you like what you see, but there's a good chance that Syndergaard sees major league time in 2014. He is by no means a finished product, but with Jeremy Hefner on the DL and Jenrry Mejia only throwing 52 innings last season, the Mets will need to dip into their substantial minor league depth at some point. Syndergaard could be an impact arm from the moment he reaches the majors, and an impressive spring training might give him the edge over some of the retreads (Daisuke Matsuzaka) and "safer" options (Rafael Montero) the Mets have available.

Familiar face: Bobby Abreu. At 40 years old it's unclear just how much Abreu has left in the tank. He didn't appear in the majors last year, but did post a .350 OBP in his last major league season, as a 38 year old. There's little power to speak of left in his bat, he doesn't run like he used to, and he's not much an option in the field. All this said, he still might be a better player than John Mayberry, Jr. who is certainly more athletic but can't get on base at near the same clip.

Keep an eye on: Jesse Biddle. One of the options standing in the way of Manship getting time in the rotation should be Jesse Biddle. While he's probably not ready for the majors just yet, the top prospect threw 138 1/3 frames in Double-A this past season, striking out 154 in the process. He still walks too many batters (5.3 walks per nine), but he's shown better control at lower levels and his stuff should play in the majors. The Phillies' other rotation options include Roberto Hernandez and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. Hernandez hasn't been close to major league average in recent years and Gonzalez is a mystery unto himself (and his team). The Phillies shouldn't rush Biddle, but there's a good chance he proves to be better than some of their other back end options in the near term.

Familiar face: Manny Delcarmen. A dominant two year stretch (118 1/3 IP, 2.81 ERA, 113 K, 45 BB) from 2007-08 tattooed Delcarmen into the public consciousness. Then came regret and the painful laser removal process of the next two seasons (112 IP, 4.74 ERA, 82 K, 66 BB), and as scars do, Delcarmen faded from our minds. We haven't seen him in the majors since 2010, but he's been invited to the Nationals camp and will vie for a spot in the bullpen, and our minds once more.

Keep an eye on: Brian Goodwin. The toolsy outfielder recently ranked 86th on Baseball Prospectus' Top 101, and has a major league average projection on all five tools. He spent 2013 repeating Double-A, which isn't as bad as it sounds seeing as he skipped High-A when he was promoted to Harrisburg in the first place. The slash line won't jump off the page (.252/.355/.407) but at 22 years old and in his second minor league season, patience is warranted. He walked at a 12.4% rate in his second run, a sign that bodes well for a future top of the order presence. While the Nationals are set in the outfield in the short term, a dominant run from Goodwin could prompt the Nationals to look at moving Denard Span.