It’s roughly a month away from the start of spring training, and the Phillies appear to be finished with their offseason shopping, acquiring Max Kepler, Jesus Luzardo, Joe Ross and Jordan Romano. Alec Bohm will be back at third after he signed a one-year, $7.7 million deal to avoid arbitration.

With an apparent stockload of starting pitching and a formidable lineup, the Phils look like the favorite to win the National League East, and remain in the argument as being the NL’s best overall team with the Dodgers.

But how does the rest of the Phils’ division look, as well as the league?

In this week’s version of my ‘Behind the Plate” column, we’ll take a look at the Phillies’ opponents in the NL East, as well as some tidbits toward the upcoming season.

A Marathon, Not A Sprint ... When you look at the division, the Phils appear to be the most stable team at the moment, with the Mets and Braves still dealing with some questions and issues.

Here’s one man’s perspective about some clubs’ current state:

Some More Mets’ Magic ... They won the Juan Soto sweepstakes, which really turned out to be a two-ticket race with the Yankees.

Soto is already hailed as the franchise’s savior, and Mets’ fans expect a Canyon of Heroes parade within the next few seasons. To me, Soto’s hype is a bit overrated, and I want to see what he will do without Aaron Judge around him in the lineup.

That brings us to the case of free agent Pete Alonso, who is still in limbo despite numerous reports having him heading back to Flushing. Alonso is what Soto needs in the lineup, and the 26-year-old deemed superstar would flourish. Soto had Bryce Harper in Washington, but struggled with slumps in his one-plus years in San Diego.

In 214 games, Soto slugged a combined 41 homers and hit .265, his lowest combined seasonal average.

There is a rising prevailing thought that Mets GM David Stearns doesn’t want to sign the 30-year-old Alonso, and prefers to inject more youth into the lineup with the combination of Brett Baty and Ronnie Mauricio at third with Mark Vientos moving to first.

On the mound, the Mets are pointing again to finding some magic behind Sean Manaea at the top of rotation in front of Frankie Montas, David Peterson, Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes, which doesn’t exactly create a sense of security.

Fan favorite Jesse Winker and free agent Anthony Santander have been mentioned as designated hitter options. Santander belted 44 homers last season.

If the Mets don’t add another power bat, there will be added pressure on Soto to carry the load. Either way, they will need some unexpected contributions from their starters and bullpen.

Yet, manager Carlos Mendoza had a stellar season, and he’ll have to push all the right buttons again.

The Braves’ New World ... Atlanta has had a very quiet offseason. They added outfielder Bryan de la Cruz, who split a mediocre season last year with Miami and Pittsburgh, but lost starters Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free agency.

For the Braves, it will be a matter of getting healthy and hitting again.

Star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr, who had knee surgery, and lead starter Spencer Strider, who underwent Tommy John elbow surgery, are both expected back before the All-Star break.

Second baseman Ozzie Albies played in only 99 games, while first baseman Matt Olson, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, and third baseman Austin Riley all had down years. Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna had a banner year with 29 homers, 104 RBIs, and a .302 average.

Chris Sale won a Cy Young last season, and Spencer Schwellenbach, Bryce Elder and Reynaldo Lopez will help round out the staff. The Braves will be seeking to add some bullpen arms, and will also look to develop some.

In spite of looking weakened, the Braves will no doubt find a way to stay in contention unless they have another magic injury. They still managed to win 89 games last season despite the loss of both Acuna and Strider.

A National Concern ... With the Phillies, Mets and Braves battling for the top spots, Washington quietly won 71 games and continued to form a young, productive base.

The outfield of left fielder James Wood, center fielder Jacob Young, and right fielder Dylan Crews along with shortstop C.J. Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia, Jr, have formed a young, solid nucleus.

They added veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, and signed Josh Bell to handle the DH role.

The staff of McKenzie Gore, D.J, Herz, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin should continue to develop, and veterans Trevor Williams and Mike Soroka will provide depth and experience.

Washington will be in the shadows, but has an opportunity to make some waves. With a deep farm system, it should have the ability to wheel and deal.

No Blues Clues Here ... The Dodgers are in a great position to become the first team to win consecutive championships since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. The Dodgers won it in 2021, but the Braves won it all the following year.

It didn’t take long for the Dodgers to get things rolling, signing free agent starter Blake Snell, infielder Hyeseong Kim, and outfielder Michael Conforto; bringing back reliever Blake Treinen and utilityman Teoscar Hernanadez; and extending utilityman and NLCS MVP Tommy Edman.

Along with Snell, the Dodgers will round out their staff with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Gavin Stone, Shohei Ohtani, and Clayton Kershaw.

Freedie Freeman and Mookie Betts pace an explosive lineup. With plenty of depth, the Dodgers can platoon at as many as three positions.

All signs are pointing to a Phillies-Dodgers NLCS.

Never Too Old ... With the addition of Ross and Romano, the Phils may be looking for another experienced arm in the bullpen, especially since Jeff Hoffman signed with Toronto.

There are a number of relievers still available, including former Dodgers’ closer Kenley Jansen, who registered 27 saves in 31 appearances in Boston last year. The 37-year-old, who is still known for his cutter, had 63 strikeouts in 54 innings with a respectable 3.02 ERA.

There’s also former Ranger Kirby Yates, also at 37, who had 33 saves in 34 chances last year. He also had a sparkling 7-2, 1.17 slate that earned him an All-Star nod. Yates recorded 85 strikeouts in 61.2 innings, and could be a solution to middle-inning relief issues.

Don’t Play This Card ... Occasionally, I will review some of the valuable Phillies’ and other baseball cards from the past.

In the 1970s, the most valuable Phillies’ card could be Mike Schmidt’s 1973 Topps #615.

Mint copies with perfect centering and corners can fetch over $500 at auction. Versions in average shape can sell for $50-100.

Anyone have Dick Allen’s rookie card (1964 Topps #536)?

It was included in the short-printed 1964 Topps high number series, and made it tougher to find than regular 1964 Topps cards. Centering and print defects plague many copies. PSA rated 10s have sold for about $3,000, while near mint/mint copies can still bring a minimum of $500, while lower-grade copies can be sold in the $50-150 range.

What is the all-time record purchase of a card? It used to belong to the T206 Honus Wagner card, but in August 2022, a Topps Mickey Mantle 1952 rookie card (#311) was sold for $12.6 million. Wagner’s card was the first to pass the $1 million mark.

Your thoughts are always welcomed; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com