Giancarlo's locked up. So what do the Marlins need to do next?
Giancarlo Stanton is locked up. So what do the Marlins need to do next? (USATSI)

The 2014 Winter Meetings are set to begin Monday in San Diego. The Winter Meetings are traditionally where many top free agents sign and high-profile trades go down, though we've already seen a handful of blockbuster deals and big free agent signings. It seems like teams are starting to become more aggressive early in the off-season, particularly when it comes to adding bats.

So, with the Winter Meetings on the horizon, here's a look at the needs for each National League club. Not all of them will be addressed next week, of course, but you can be sure the teams will try. (A rundown of AL team needs can be found here.)

NL EAST

Braves: John Hart has taken over as the president of baseball operations and he's aggressively reshaped the roster these last few weeks, including trading Jason Heyward, acquiring Shelby Miller, and signing Nick Markakis. First and foremost, Hart now needs to figure out the Justin Upton and Evan Gattis situation. If the Braves trade one (or both), it'll create and eliminate some needs. Rotation help and second base help is on the agenda right now. Trading Heyward and/or Gattis could create need in the outfield as well.

Marlins: The Marlins have a very good young core and it's not just Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez. Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Henderson Alvarez and Adeiny Hechavarria are also excellent young building blocks. Miami is clearly a team on the rise, but they need help on the infield corners and a veteran arm to anchor the rotation. Chase Headley and James Shields would probably be ideal. The Marlins might have to settle for Asdrubal Cabrera and Jake Peavy.

Mets: GM Sandy Alderson's first, second and third priority at the Winter Meeting will be finding a shortstop. He's already shored up the outfield with Michael Cuddyer and he has plenty of pitching to trade, most notably Bartolo Colon, Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee. Shortstops are very hard to find, but the Mets really need one. They're getting Matt Harvey back and it's reasonable to expect Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler to take steps forward in 2015. Finding a shortstop to solidify the infield is a major need before the Amazin's can get back to contention.

Nationals: GM Mike Rizzo has constructed perhaps the deepest and most well-rounded roster in baseball. They need a second baseman and minor things like bench help and pitching depth, but that's really it. They're set all over the field. Of course, Rizzo could opt to trade impending free agents Jordan Zimmermann and/or Doug Fister, which would open a whole other can of worms. I'm guessing the Nats won't move those two right-handers and will instead try to win with them in 2015.

Phillies: The Phillies have sat on the sidelines so far this off-season and that isn't a bad strategy considering their situation. They've finally acknowledged the need to rebuild, and the biggest part of that rebuild will be trading Cole Hamels. Hamels is elite and signed to a contract more favorable than the ones Max Scherzer or Jon Lester figure to sign, so GM Ruben Amaro Jr. can't settle for only good prospects. Top prospects or no dice. Trading Hamels could go down as the club's most important move of the decade.

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: Milwaukee already addressed a glaring need by trading for Adam Lind to play first base, at least against righties. They could use an upgrade at second base, but otherwise the lineup is set. Like every other team, the Brewers could use pitching help, though their current rotation isn't in need of an overhaul. More than anything, the Brewers need Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez to stay healthy, and for Jean Segura to turn back the clock to the first half of 2013. Their roster is in better shape than their second half collapse and 82-80 record indicate.

Cardinals: The Heyward trade already solved the club's biggest problem. St. Louis right fielders were just dreadful this past season (67 OPS+). The Cardinals could perhaps use a innings-eater since Adam Wainwright (elbow) and Michael Wacha (shoulder) carry some injury concerns and Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales may have some workload limitations in 2015, but it certainly isn't a pressing issue. The Cardinals are so good they're boring. Nothing left for them to do but tinker after the Heyward pickup.

Cubs: Pitching. Pitching, pitching and more pitching. High-end pitching too, no back-end starters or anything like that. Chicago has the most enviable collection of position player prospects in baseball, but they need to supplement them with quality arms to contend. Trades are always possible (Hamels!), and of course they've been linked to Lester. I expect the Cubs to bring in multiple top starters this winter and the Winter Meetings is as good a time as any to acquire one.

Pirates: The Pirates lost Russell Martin to free agency and he's irreplaceable. At least the 2014 version of Martin is. They'll try to cobble together a quality catching tandem out of Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart and Tony Sanchez. GM Neal Huntington has already added A.J. Burnett to help replace Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez, but he still must find one more starter. His farm system is good enough that he can make a trade for an impact starter if he wants, but, more than likely, they'll try to find another Burnett/Liriano/Volquez-esque reclamation project for pitching coach Ray Searage. How does Justin Masterson sound?

Reds: The Reds are in a weird spot this winter. They weren't very good in 2014 but there is reason to believe they will better in 2015, mostly because Joey Votto, Homer Bailey and Mat Latos will be healthy, Billy Hamilton will have a full season under his belt and Jay Bruce can't possibly be that bad again. Right? I expect a rebound. Now, that said, four-fifths of their rotation is due to hit free agency next off-season (Latos, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Alfredo Simon) and they can't afford to re-sign all of them. Re-signing just one of Latos and Cueto might be tough. If GM Walt Jocketty decides to go all in and try to win in 2015 before his rotation crumbles, they'll need a left fielder and some bench/bullpen help. If they decide to rebuild, well, they could move all four of those impending free agent starters plus others like Bruce, Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman. That would be something else.

NL WEST

Diamondbacks: Arizona has already been quite busy this winter. They've signed Yasmany Tomas, traded for Jeremy Hellickson, and swapped Didi Gregorius for Robbie Ray and a prospect. Ace Patrick Corbin is due back from Tommy John surgery early next season as well. The D-Backs were dreadful last year and still need more pitching help, especially in the rotation, and they have some extra outfielders to move. They could also shop veterans Aaron Hill and Miguel Montero. Rotation help is a clear need right now. Hellickson should be step one, not the only step in their rotation overhaul.

Dodgers: The Dodgers' biggest need is moving an outfielder. Someone has to go, and they would prefer it to be Andre Ethier or Carl Crawford, if not both. Matt Kemp is said to be on the block as well. Clearing up that outfield logjam -- the team's best outfield alignment is almost certainly Kemp in left, young Joc Pederson in center and Yasiel Puig in right -- creates more roster flexibility. Of course, new president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman also needs to replace Hanley Ramirez at shortstop and rebuild a bullpen that was ultimately the club's downfall in the 2014 NLDS. An innings-eater is on the shopping list as well. Of course, since these are the Dodgers, that innings-eater might be Lester or Scherzer.

Giants: For a team that just won the World Series, the Giants sure do have a lot of holes, don't they? They need to replace Pablo Sandoval at third base -- Chase Headley makes so much sense that it probably won't happen, baseball is weird like that -- and possibly Michael Morse in left field. GM Brian Sabean also needs to beef up a rotation that was very shaky behind Madison Bumgarner in October. Matt Cain is due to return from elbow and ankle surgery, but it appears he is more of a mid-rotation horse than an ace at this point of his career. Third base and the rotation are major areas of need for San Francisco. Left field less so.

Padres: The Padres averaged only 3.30 runs per game this past season, 0.24 runs per game fewer than anyone else. Which is to say they were dreadful on offense. In theory, their only keeper should be catcher Yasmani Grandal, but they're locked into Jedd Gyorko and Seth Smith because of their contracts. And Grandal has been the name most rumored in trades, naturally. New GM A.J. Preller has some arms to dangle in trades, namely impending free agents Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy, but he basically needs an entirely new lineup from top to bottom.

Rockies: Assuming that finally figuring out which kind of pitchers have the most success at Coors Field is off the table, Colorado needs to decide whether it is better off proceeding with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez or without them. Both guys are pushing 30 and their stars have dimmed considerably because of injury, plus they aren't all that cheap anymore. The Rockies have to be honest with themselves: Can they win with them in the immediate future? If they think they can, they need pitching and bench help. If they think they can't, then trading them and starting a rebuild is the best course of action. Colorado's greatest need this winter and figuring out whether they want to commit to contending or rebuild and actually go through with it. All the way. No more half-measures.