While the Mets lost their series to the Braves, and head back to Shea with a 4-2 record, here’s a quick look at what else is going on in the NL East:

The Nats were swept by the Diamondbacks in a four game series at RFK. The games have been been both close (3-1 in their last loss) and not so much (7-1 Friday). The starting staff’s ERA’s are running a little high (Patterson 9.35, Williams 6.0, Bergmann 9.82). The Nats are now 1-6.

The Phillies are also struggling, dropping five of six, including a 6-4 loss today at Dolphins Stadium vs the Marlins. Ryan Howard is batting .217, Utley .259, and Met fan favorite Jimmy Rollins a .304 with 3 homeruns.

The Marlins, after finishing with Philly, is now 4-2. After 22 at bats is hitting .500 with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBI’s. D-Train is 2-0, having given up 5 runs, 4 earned, in 12 innings pitched. He’s struck out 12 and walked 3.

While the Mets rested, the rest of the NL East had a busy day, for the most part beating up on each other.

In the battle of the former 3rd base coaches, the Manny Acta led Nationals fell to the Marlins (manager Fredi Gonzalez was the Braves 3rd base coach) 9-2.  Two Nats left the game with injuries (SS Guzman, CF Logan).

It's going to probably be a very long year for Manny.

In Philly, the Braves won 5-3, in 10 innings, via two Renteria home runs including the game winner in the 10th.  McCann added a 2 run shot in the 4th. Rollins hit the sole Philly homerun.

After all that talk of the wind in Card-land last night, turns out we played the East's sole homerunless game.

According to the Washington Post, The Washington Nationals have traded second basemen Jose Vidro to the Seattle Mariners for two prospects. 

25 year old Outfielder Chris Snelling and 22 year old RHP Emiliano Fruto are headed to Washington in return.

Seattle has agreed to pay $12M of Vidro's remaining $16M on his contract.

While appearing on The Hot List, Nationals GM Jim Bowden was asked to give some insight on the Nationals for the meetings. Bowden responding by saying he
“expects a trade that will shock the baseball world will happen in the
next 72 hours”. When asked if the potential trade would involve the Nationals, he backtracked
but appeared to give a bit of a smirk to the camera.

I love the winter meetings. Its like the entire month leading up to the trade deadline rolled into four days and I can't get enough of it. If only there were two winter meetings each offseason.

Anyway, enough of me orally stimulating the winter meetings. I can't really picture Bowden making that big of a trade because he said earlier in the interview that he intends on rebuilding the team through the draft, so he might be alluding to a possible Manny Ramirez deal.

The voting for AL MVP could be deadlocked on top between Derek Jeter and Justin Morneau.

The Red Sox are showing interest in Rangers SS Michael Young. They are also offering the Nationals OF Wily Mo Pena in exchange for P Chad Cordero.

The Astros, Rangers, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Cubs and Mets are all in the hunt for P Vicente Padilla.

The Cubs are pursuing SS-2B Julio Lugo, but they want him to move to centerfield.

The Yankees are showing interest in 1B-3B Shea Hillenbrand.

Yankees P Scott Proctor might be moved to the rotation for 2007.

The A’s have promoted bench coach Bob Geren to be the clubs next manager.

The Red Sox are showing interest in former Expos and Brewers P Tomo Ohka, who was a former prospect in the Red Sox organization.

SS Alex Gonzalez has been offered a 3-year, $15 million contract from either the White Sox or Reds.

A’s owner Lewis Wolff said the club will consider bringing in OF Barry Bonds to replace the all-but departed DH Frank Thomas.

The Orioles could persue either Mariners 1B Richie Sexson or Reds OF Adam Dunn this winter.

The Cubs are open to trading C Michael Barrett for some pitching help.

The Astros and Rockies have discussed a trade that would bring P Jason Jennings to Houston while sending either OF/2B Chris Burke or P Brad Lidge to Colorado.

The Mets are showing interest in P Adam Eaton, but his agent says he believes the Mets have Eaton as a “backup choice”.

SNY had former Met Lee Mazelli in their headquarters for an interview yesterday. It is believed he would work during Mets broadcasts.

The Red Sox could try to convince P Roger Clemens to return to Boston to be the teams closer.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Mets 3rd Base coach Manny Acta has pulled out of the Athletics managerial search and is close to becoming the next manager of the Washington Nationals.

Omar, do the right thing and bring Gary Carter up to coach 3rd base.

The Mets unloaded early and often on the defenseless Nationals. Cliff Floyd showed signs of breaking out, going 2 for 5, driving in 2 runs and scoring one himself. With 2 outs in the first inning, Beltran, Wright and Floyd each went yard, Wright's a two run shot with Delgado on board off a single. Beltran's was another tape measure style bomb to right. The beatings continued as Nats morale did not improve, Delgado joined the hit parade in the 3rd with a dinger of his own, a two run shot. The Nats finally got on the board in the 4th, off a single by Zimmerman, that scored Vidro and Nick Johnson.

Victor Zambrano (1-0) allowed three runs in five innings in his
first start of the season for the Mets, who've won six straight
games. Zambrano was the first Mets starter not to go at least six innings
this year. Reliever Darren
Oliver pitched two perfect innings, striking out four, and hit a two-run single in the seventh, after Ramon Castro was intentionally walked.

Livan Hernandez allowed
eight runs — seven earned — on 11 hits, including the four homers,
over six innings. His ERA rose to 7.00. New York's 4-5-6 hitters, Delgado, Wright and Floyd, went a
combined 7-for-9 with six RBI

The Mets finished with 16 hits. They scored five runs when they sent
10 men to the plate in the seventh. The Mets hit three homers in an inning for
the first time since April 19, 2005, at Philadelphia, when Mike
Piazza, Doug Mientkiewicz and Victor Diaz did it in the third.

Brian Bannister is showing everyone that spring was no abberation. Granted, the Nationals are not a world class organization, but they're major leaguers with some decent bats that include Soriano, Zimmerman, Vidro, and the sweetest swing in baseball, Nick Johnson. They're no humps, and Bannister has mowed them down twice in less than a week. They've had the benefit to see Bannister pitch, and he fooled them regardless. It will be interesting to see how Brian fares against a stacked lineup like St Louis.

Bannister was cruising with a 2 hit shutout until the 7th. Bannister's only blemish was a barely fair dinger by Soriano in that inning. Bannister got out of the inning with only that run being scored and Heilman came in and made quick work of the Nats in the 8th, leading the way to give Wagner a chance to exercise his arm. It seems Willie wants to get Wagner some work despite the large lead because of his shortened spring, allowing him a perfect opportunity to gain some innings to work out the kinks.

The bats were alive today as well. Wright continues his torrid pace in the 4th with a double to bring home Beltran who singled ahead of him, thats 10 RBI's for “The Franchise,” folks. At least 1 in every game. Floyd hit a sac fly to bring home Delgado who had singled and advanced to third on Wright's double. 2-0 Mets.

The Mets scored 2 more in the 5th when Anderson Hernandez reached on an infield single, moved to second on Bannister's sac fly, and scored on Reyes' single. Reyes then scored off a smoking double by Lo Duca. 4-0 Mets.

Bannister helped his own cause and showed he is nice with the bat as well, hitting a double in the 7th inning and then scored off a trademark triple by Reyes putting the Mets up 5-0.

In the top of the 9th, Carlos Beltran hit an absolute bomb to right field. The monster is out of the cage folks. A two run blast with Lo Duca on base off a single. 7-1 Mets. Bannister earns his first win, and earns even more respect for an already impressive start.

Washington reliever Felix Rodriguez was suspended for three games and Nationals manager Frank Robinson for one for their roles in last week's game against the New York Mets in which five batters were hit by pitches.