ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals made deals with Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. The Chicago Cubs signed Shota Imanaga and Héctor Neris. Even the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates got involved in free agency.
Right now, all the teams in the NL Central are competitive, creating an open environment in a division that was won by St. Louis or Milwaukee in five of the last six years.
In 2023, Milwaukee finished first, nine games ahead of Chicago. But the Brewers' top pitchers, Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, faced setbacks with a trade and surgery.
This challenge falls to Pat Murphy, who became manager after Craig Counsell moved to Chicago, adding more excitement to one of the division's top rivalries.
“We're happy he's on our team now,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said about his new manager.
Cincinnati was in the running for a playoff spot in 2023 before ending with an 82-80 record. The Reds strengthened their pitching by signing Frankie Montas, Nick Martinez, and Emilio Pagán.
Pittsburgh also made moves, adding Aroldis Chapman and Martín Pérez to their relief pitching, and bringing back Andrew McCutchen on a one-year contract.
The Reds last won the division in 2012. The Pirates have never won the NL Central; their last division title was in the NL East in 1992.
HOW THEY PROJECT
1.) Chicago Cubs. With the additions of Counsell and Imanaga, along with the return of Cody Bellinger, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer had a successful offseason. Imanaga, a Japanese left-hander, has a strong set of skills that should help him transition to the majors. He joins a rotation led by Justin Steele, who had a breakout season with a 16-5 record and 3.06 ERA last year. Bellinger is aiming to prove himself again after achieving a career-best .307 average with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs in his first season in Chicago. Michael Busch, acquired in a trade with the Dodgers, is expected to take on a regular role. A big question for Chicago is Christopher Morel, a powerful hitter who hit 26 home runs last season but also struck out 133 times in 107 games.
2.) Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati's promising young infield, led by Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain, faced a setback when Noelvi Marte was suspended for 80 games for using a performance-enhancing substance. But the Reds have several options to fill in for Marte during his absence. Jeimer Candelario joined the team through free agency, and 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India could also play a role in the infield. Injuries to Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft led to a challenging situation in Cincinnati's rotation last season, but Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson gained valuable experience that could pay off this time. Montas also joins the rotation after an injury-filled period with the Yankees.
3.) St. Louis Cardinals. It's hard to believe the respected Cardinals will repeat their disappointing performance from the previous season. St. Louis ended with a 71-91 record in 2023, landing at the bottom of the NL Central. It was the team's first losing record since 2007, when they finished 78-84. The focus in the offseason was on improving their rotation, which had a 5.08 ERA. Gray signed a $75 million, three-year contract after achieving a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts with Minnesota. Lynn and Gibson also signed one-year deals. However, all three right-handers are over 34 years old, and Lynn gave up the most home runs in the major leagues last year with 44 in 32 starts. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are back to strengthen the lineup, and Jordan Walker could improve on a solid rookie season.
4.) Milwaukee Brewers. Rhys Hoskins signed a $34 million, two-year contract in free agency to play first base. The team also has young and athletic players like Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and Brice Turang. Mitchell, Frelick and Turang were all selected in the first round of the amateur draft, and the 20-year-old Chourio is one of baseball’s top prospects. After the Burnes trade and Woodruff’s injury, Freddy Peralta is the team’s top starting pitcher. He had a 12-10 record with a 3.86 ERA in 30 starts last year. Wade Miley was re-signed on a one-year contract, but he has been hampered by injuries. If the Brewers struggle early in the season, closer Devin Williams and shortstop Willy Adames could be top players available ahead of the trade deadline. Williams will start the season on the injured list due to two stress fractures in his back.
5.) Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have promising young players like Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Henry Davis. Cruz hopes to have a healthy season after missing most of last year with a fractured left ankle. Hayes made progress in 2023, winning his first Gold Glove at third base while also hitting .271 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs. Davis, a catcher and right fielder, was the first overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft. Marco Gonzales was added to the rotation in a trade with Atlanta in December, providing another experienced arm behind All-Star right-hander Mitch Keller.
NO RESPECT
The Milwaukee team reached the playoffs in five of the previous six years, and it seems like they are not too concerned about possibly being underestimated in the upcoming season.
Outfielder Christian Yelich believes that the team will be competitive this year. He mentioned that even though the Brewers have been performing well in recent years, they are never expected to do well because they are the Brewers.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
The Pittsburgh team selected Paul Skenes as the No. 1 pick in last year’s amateur draft, and the 6-foot-6 right-hander might make his major league debut this season.
Skenes, 21, helped LSU win the 2023 College World Series, posting a 13-2 record with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings. He appeared in five minor league games last summer across three levels, allowing four runs in 6 2/3 innings.
