With free agency underway, the offseason is about to pick up steam. What are the big questions facing all 30 teams? We're moving on to the National League East.

What to do with Trea Turner?

2016 record: 95-67

After he set the league on fire following his July call-up, there's no doubt that Trea Turner can play. The question is where exactly will the Nationals play him? If manager Dusty Baker chooses to keep Turner in center field, where he never played professionally until June, that leaves the Nats with question marks at shortstop (Danny Espinosa hit .209 with 174 K's) and first base (Ryan Zimmerman posted a .642 OPS).

If Baker pencils Turner in at his natural position (shortstop), then there are unknowns at center and first. Alternatively, Turner could slot in at second base (he played 28 games there last season), with Daniel Murphy sliding over to first, which leaves uncertainty at short and center.

The truth is that whatever decision Baker and GM Mike Rizzo make regarding Turner, it'll probably be dictated by what they're able to accomplish in the free-agent and/or trade markets. If they can snag an outfielder such as Dexter Fowler or Yoenis Cespedes -- whom they flirted heavily with last winter -- then Turner will likely find himself in the infield. If they can nab an infielder, be it corner or middle, there's a good chance Turner reprises his rookie role as the team's everyday center fielder.

Regardless of where Turner plays, his presence at the top of the lineup will be key in helping the Nats -- who still have plenty of pieces in place -- get back to the postseason. -- Eddie Matz

Can the Mets contend without Yoenis Cespedes?

2016 record: 87-75

Yoenis Cespedes led the Mets in homers (31) and RBIs (86) last season. Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports

The Mets went 72-54 with Yoenis Cespedes in the starting lineup the past season. They were 15-21 otherwise. Now that Cespedes has opted out, vacating the remaining $47.5 million that had been owed to him through 2018, will the Mets lose him in free agency? If so, how do they offset his loss?

The Mets are averse to giving Cespedes a longer-term deal -- say, four or five years -- and expect him to sign elsewhere for a contract that might exceed $100 million. That said, they were pessimistic a year ago as well, and Cespedes ended up re-signing. The Mets acquired Jay Bruce from the Reds on Aug. 1 and have picked up his $13 million option. Minus Cespedes, that would give the Mets three lefty-hitting primary outfielders: Curtis Granderson, Bruce and Michael Conforto (who had a rough sophomore year). The Mets also have righty-hitting center fielder Juan Lagares.

If Cespedes lands elsewhere, team officials will be searching for a righty hitter to complement first baseman Lucas Duda. That addition also could get starts in the outfield against southpaws. Good luck, though, duplicating Cespedes' team-leading 31 homers and 86 RBIs in that scenario. -- Adam Rubin

How do the Marlins replace Jose Fernandez?

2106 record: 79-82

The simple answer: They don't. Fernandez was too important to the franchise to replace and there's no way they'll be able to -- both on and off the field.

The Marlins ranked sixth in the NL in rotation ERA in 2016, at 4.32 -- well behind the five playoff teams. Take Fernandez's numbers out, and that ERA rises to 4.70. The rotation right now consists of Tom Koehler, Adam Conley, Wei-Yin Chen and a host of question marks. To make matters worse, with one of the lowest-ranked farm systems, there doesn't appear to be any immediate help coming from the minors. The starting pitching market in free agency is especially weak, and the Marlins aren't likely to outbid anyone for Rich Hill, the biggest prize. Maybe they would consider an innings-eater such as R.A. Dickey or Jeremy Hellickson.

We are already hearing rumors that the Marlins would consider breaking up their stellar young outfield and trading Marcell Ozuna or Christian Yelich. Ozuna is the more likely option, as Yelich is signed through 2022 to a long-term deal that looks very team-friendly on the back end ($15 million salary in 2022). Plus, he's the better player, with 5.3 WAR in 2016 to Ozuna's 2.5. Ozuna, coming off a .266/.321/.452 season, is a nice player but not a star. He won't bring back an ace, but he could yield a mid-rotation starter of similar experience.

Of course, this is also robbing Peter to pay Paul: The Marlins were just 13th in the NL in runs, so trading Ozuna opens up another hole. Maybe Yelich slides over to center and Derek Dietrich gets a shot in left (Ichiro Suzuki remains best-suited to a backup role). Maybe Giancarlo Stanton bounces back with monster numbers. Maybe the Marlins trade Ozuna and sign a free-agent outfielder. -- David Schoenfield

How can the Phillies upgrade their offense?

2016 record: 71-91

The Phillies ranked last in the majors in runs (610), OPS (.685) and total bases (2,090) the past season, so their biggest offseason priority is upgrading the offense. They'd like to add a veteran bat or two to take some heat off a young pitching staff and provide protection for Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera and the other young hitters in the lineup.

But don't expect general manager Matt Klentak and his group to go on a free-agent splurge this winter. The Phillies don't want to block J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams or their other top prospects in the system, and they'd rather save their money for the stronger free-agent classes in 2017 and 2018. As such, Klentak and his group will probably be swimming in the Mitch Moreland-Brandon Moss-Adam Lind-Jon Jay-Colby Rasmus end of the pool.

The Phillies are looking for veterans willing to sign one- or two-year deals and stick with their methodical, long-range plan. They have yet to put a specific target on when they hope the organizational rebuild will produce a team capable of contending in the National League East. -- Jerry Crasnick

Were the final two months the real deal?

2016 record: 68-93

Through the first four months, the Braves went 37-68 and averaged 3.43 runs per game. Over the final two months, they went 31-25 and averaged 5.16 runs per game. Only the Rockies scored more runs per game in the majors those final two months. Freddie Freeman led the way, with a monster .340/.461/.680 line, while Matt Kemp slugged .519 and drove in 39 runs, Ender Inciarte hit .342, Dansby Swanson came up and hit .302 with a .361 OBP, and Nick Markakis even hit eight home runs -- matching his total from all of 2015 through July 2016.

I would say it's reason for cautious optimism. In 2015, the Mets were the third-highest-scoring team over the final two months; they finished 26th in runs in 2016. The Blue Jays led the majors with 5.88 runs per game the final two months of 2015; they averaged 4.69 in 2016 (even as offense across the league went up). One thing to keep in mind: The Braves weren't a young team in the field in 2016. They ranked 24th in average position player age (based on weighted playing time from Baseball-Reference.com). Although Swanson added youth, the Braves were otherwise relying on veteran guys such as Kemp and Markakis, and Freeman probably had the two best months of his career.

You can probably expect the offense to be better than it was overall, as the Braves ranked just 29th in runs, even with the hot final two months. However, the key to getting the Braves back to .500 will be a vast improvement in the rotation. -- David Schoenfield