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NL Central Preview

As we make our way back east we find ourselves in the NL Central today. In case you missed the previous previews never fear I have your back. You can find them here. As for the NL Central, this division as a whole has had quite the interesting offseason. For the majority of this offseason, each team seems hellbent on cutting salary and taking a step back. Then in the last month or so these teams completely reversed course. Over the last decade, this has arguably been the most fun division in the NL. Only the Pirates have failed to win the division in the last ten years. So who will reign supreme this season?

St. Louis Cardinals

No team made a bigger splash in this division than the Cardinals this offseason. Trading for Nolan Arenado makes them clear favorites to regain, what many Cardinals believe to be their birthright, the division title. Watching the Cubs win the division last season was a bitter pill to swallow. Especially considering no team was hit harder by the Covid virus than this team. That being said this team is hungry for both regular season as well as postseason success.

This team pairs Paul Goldschmidt with Nolan Arenado to form a deadly duo in the heart of the lineup. These two were regarded as some of the most dangerous hitters in the NL West. Now they are in the same lineup with some young talented players. Players such as Tommy Edman, Tyler O’Neill, and Harrison Bader form a nice trio to supplement the big two. Fan-favorite Yadier Molina returns for another year as his veteran presence will be sure to help the team. Keep an eye out for top prospect Dylan Carlson who should be involved in the fun sooner rather than later.

The pitching side for the Cardinals on paper looks solid but does come with a few question marks. Jack Flaherty is the ace of this staff and has the makings of a CY Young candidate. Whether he lives up to that potential will play a huge factor in the Cardinals’ success this season. Adam Wainwright decided to stick around for at least one more season as he will be the veteran presence for this staff. The sore spot for this rotation is that 5th starters spot as there hasn’t been anyone able to stake their claim to it yet. In the bullpen flamethrower Jordan Hicks is back and ready to close down games again. The Cardinals have high expectations, especially after the Arenado trade. Anything less than a division title will probably be viewed as a failure.

Milwaukee Brewers

It would be pretty fair to say that Milwaukee probably would’ve been favorites to win the division had the Cardinals not acquired Arenado. The signing of Kolten Wong and Jackie Bradley Jr still boosts their chances of making the playoffs. With the rest of the division likely taking a step back the Brewers saw their chance to pounce. These moves should help elevate a team that finished fourth in the division last year. It’s a bit refreshing to see the Brewers willing to spend money every now and then.

Offensively they are led by MVP candidate Christian Yelich who continues to rack up superstar numbers. Lorenzo Cain and Jackie Bradley Jr. will be his buddies in the outfield and should give him protection in the lineup. The signing of Kolten Wong allows the team to move Keston Hiura to first base minimizing his porous defense. A name to watch out for is Luis Urias who was a top prospect for the Padres before being traded. If things click for this lineup they can hurt even the best pitchers in this league.

What may ultimately hold the Brewers back is their pitching staff. Brandon Woodruff is most likely the ace of this staff who have quite a few question marks. Quite frankly pitching is what caused them to have such a disappointing season last year. If they can’t improve on last year’s performance it will be even more imperative that the offense fires on all cylinders. Milwaukee will be hoping that Josh Hader has a bounce-back campaign as he’s a real weapon out of the bullpen. Expect Milwaukee to be in the thick of the playoff race this season.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds finished last season in third place and as such are slotted in as third again. That being said they could easily push the top two teams in this division. The Brewers’ moves this offseason gave them a slight edge, especially since the Reds lost Trevor Bauer this offseason. Cincinnati in recent years has shown a willingness to make a splash and that alone is reason enough to still be optimistic about this franchise.

Face of the franchise Joey Votto is still ticking along as he will no doubt want to make one final playoff push. He’s surrounded by Eugenio Suarez, Mike Moustakas, and Nick Castellanos. That trio of veterans will try to help the eventual new wave of young players settle in and produce. Nick Senzel and Aristides Aquino will both be hoping for a bit more consistency. Both players have flashed their potential only for that to be followed by rough patches. If those two can step up then this lineup can easily go up another level.

The Cincinnati rotation is anchored by Luis Castillo who along with Sonny Gray form a solid one-two punch. The key for the Reds rotation this season will be the other three pitchers. If they can get average to above average play from those three slots then this team has a real shot at some success. The bullpen on paper should fair a bit better with Amir Garrett on the back end shutting things down. Sean Doolittle is another name that can help close games out if need be. A division title might be a step too far for this club, but a playoff spot is a real possibility.

Chicago Cubs

How is it possible that last year’s division winners find themselves in fourth place? Well, the team has seen an exodus of players this offseason. On the pitching side Yu Darvish, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood have all left the club. Not to mention hitters Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr are no longer with the club as well. Then you have Kris Bryant who most likely won’t be part of this team’s future and such will likely be traded. All of this points towards a down year as the Cubs will likely try to rebuild on the fly.

Despite all the departures, it is not all gloom and doom in Chicago. The Cubs did sign outstanding outfielder Joc Peterson who should help ease the downward slide. He joins a lineup that has Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant (for now), and Javier Baez. If those four can play up to their best this lineup all of a sudden becomes pretty scary. Jason Heyward may no longer be known for his bat, but he’s still a very good defender. Timely hits and stellar defense might be the plan for Chicago this season.

I mentioned that the Cubs lost four pitchers this offseason. Kyle Hendricks is one of the few starters left from last season and will probably be the ace this year. The Cubs did acquire Zach Davies so I suppose all is not lost, but this rotation does have some massive questions. Jake Arrieta will try to squeeze out one last solid season, but after him, things don’t look so good. Craig Kimbrel in the back of that bullpen should give them some stability as they ride out this rough season. It certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibilities that the Cubs make the playoffs, I just wouldn’t bet on it.

Pittsburgh Pirates

It remains remarkable that the Pirates have never won this division. Even the Houston Astros have won this division and they now find themselves in the AL West. Such is the reality for Pittsburgh and unfortunately for their fans, this isn’t the season that futility ends. This organization has finished in last place in each of the last two seasons and it looks like that streak will increase to three. While everyone else in the division is either shooting for the playoffs or manufacturing a quick rebuild the Pirates are taking the long approach.

In their lineup, Pittsburgh still has Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco, but make no mistake it’s a full-blown youth movement here. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jared Oliva are just two of the brightest young talents that the Pirates will feature this season. It shouldn’t take long for the next wave of future Pirates to make their debuts as well. In the meantime, Pittsburgh fans should enjoy Moran and Polanco while they still can. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them involved in trade rumors.

Top prospect Mitch Keller appears to be the guy leading the rotation this season. With this organization embracing this season as one for development, they are letting Keller take his lumps. The hope is for him to one day become a true ace and lead a better rotation in the future. As for now, the team is relying on veterans such as Trevor Cahill and Tyler Anderson to eat up innings. Richard Rodriquez appears to be the closer to start the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a closer by committee was used. Don’t expect this team to be anywhere near the playoff race this season. That being said, a successful season for them would be developing the next core as well as potentially finishing fourth.

 

Justin Walker

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