The Pirates believe they are good enough to break a three-year postseason drought this year. To do so, they will have to navigate the gauntlet of the National League Central.
The NL Central was the only division in the major leagues last season that had four teams finish .500 or better. The Brewers and Cubs both won 95 games — more than any other NL teams — before Milwaukee beat Chicago in a tiebreaker game at Wrigley Field.
With spring training less than a week away, the division looks to be as strong as last season.
The Brewers and Cubs both return the core of their rosters, and the Cardinals and Reds have made major moves this winter to try to close the gap after finishing third and fifth in the division, respectively, last season.
“I said it all last year: I think we have the best division in baseball, I really do,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said earlier in the offseason. “Team for team, I think we're the best because of the ascension of these other groups. Our division is going to be very difficult this year. You’ve got to win your division overall. You’ve got to build up some spread there. And it’s not going away.”
Despite finishing fourth last season, the Pirates have not made any significant moves this winter. However, they insist the trade made last July, acquiring Chris Archer and Keone Kela, was designed to bolster their playoff hopes in 2019 and 2020.
“I do like the deals they made last year,” Maddon said. “It made them a better team and gives them a pitching staff to be reckoned with.”
Here is a team-by-team look at the NL Central based on last year’s standings:
BREWERS
Spring training site: Phoenix
Last year: 96-67, first place, beat Rockies in NLDS, lost to Dodgers in NLCS
Projected opening day payroll: $120 million
New faces: LHP Alex Claudio (from Rangers in trade), OF Ben Gamel (from Mariners in trade), C Yasmani Grandal (free agent from Dodgers), 2B Corey Spangenberg (free agent from Padres)
Out the door: LHP Dan Jennings (free agent), LHP Wade Miley (signed with Astros as free agent), 3B Mike Moustakas (free agent), 2B Jonathan Schoop (signed with Twins as free agent), RF Domingo Santana (traded to Mariners).
Projected lineup: CF Lorenzo Cain, RF Christian Yelich, 1B Jesus Aguliar, 3B Travis Shaw, LF Ryan Braun, C Grandal, SS Orlando Arcia, 2B Spangenberg
Projected rotation: RH Jhoylys Chacin, RH Chase Anderson, RH Zach Davies, RH Brandon Woodruff, RH Jimmy Nelson
Projected bullpen: RHP Corey Knebel (closer), RHP Jeremy Jeffress (setup), LHP Josh Hader (setup)
The offseason: The Brewers' biggest move was signing Grandal to a one-year, $18.25-million deal. Despite his postseason woes, Grandal is an outstanding pitch framer and hit .241/.349/.466 with 24 home runs last season. He is also an upgrade to the combination of journeymen Manny Piña and Erik Kratz.
Schoop was a bust last season after being acquired from the Orioles in a July trade. The Brewers feel they can get by with a platoon of Spangenberg and Hernan Perez until top prospect Keston Hiura is ready, which is likely to be some time prior to the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, Shaw will shift from second base back to his natural third-base position. Shaw made the switch last July to make room for Moustakas, who came from the Royals in another July trade.
The Brewers, meanwhile, will play with greater expectations this season after their surprise division title a year ago. However, manager Craig Counsell said his team will have no problem with that.
“I don’t think things change much,” Counsell said. “Wherever you're at, whatever happened the year before, I don't think in game time you think about it too much or you feel like hunt/hunted/hunter, whatever. You get in the action and you've got to beat them. There will be different obstacles for our team this year, different challenges for sure, but I don’t think us worrying about being the hunted will be one of them.”
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CUBS
Spring training site: Mesa, Ariz.
Last year: 95-68, second place, lost to Rockies in Wild Card game
Projected 2019 payroll: $213 million
New faces: RHP Brad Brach (free agent from Braves), INF/OF Daniel Descalso (free agent from Diamondbacks).
Out the door: C Chris Gimenez (retired), INF Tommy La Stella (traded to Angels), 2B Daniel Murphy (signed with Rockies as free agent), LHP Justin Wilson (signed with Mets as free agent)
Projected lineup: 2B Ben Zobrist, 3B Kris Bryant, 1B Anthony Rizzo, SS Javier Baez, LF Kyle Schwarber, C Willson Contreras, RF Jason Heyward, CF Ian Happ
Projected rotation: LH Jon Lester, RH Kyle Hendricks, LH Jose Quintana, RH Cole Hamels, RH Yu Darvish
Projected bullpen: RH Pedro Strop (closer), RH Carl Edwards Jr. (setup), RH Steve Cishek (setup)
The offseason: The Cubs have done little this winter other than exercise the $20-million option on Hamels’ contract for 2019. Hamels was 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA and 1.10 WHIP for the Cubs last year after coming over from the Rangers in a July trade.
Descalso will provide more depth to an already versatile roster, while Brach should help shore up a suspect bullpen. Descalso hit .248/.353/.436 with 13 homers in 136 games last season, while Brach was 2-4 with 12 saves, a 3.59 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in a combined 69 games with the Orioles and Braves.
Though the Cubs won 95 games, their season had an ugly conclusion with back-to-back home losses to the Brewers in the division tiebreaker and to the Rockies in the winner-take-all Wild Card game.
Maddon says the Cubs have plenty of motivation following a bad ending to their 2018 season. The Cubs blew a five-game division lead in September.
“We got ejected earlier than we wanted to or expected to,” Maddon said. “That sticks with you.”
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CARDINALS
Spring training site: West Palm Beach, Fla.
Last year: 88-74, third place
Projected 2019 payroll: $161 million
New faces: LHP Andrew Miller (free agent from Indians), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (from Diamondbacks in trade)
Out the door: INF Greg Garcia (signed with Padres as free agent), RHP Bud Norris (free agent), RHP Luke Weaver (traded to Diamondbacks)
Projected lineup: 3B Matt Carpenter, SS Paul DeJong, 1B Goldschmidt, LF Marcell Ozuna, RF Dexter Fowler, C Yadier Molina, 2B Kolten Wong, CF Harrison Bader
Projected rotation: RH Carlos Martinez, RHP Miles Mikolas, RH Jack Flaherty, RH Adam Wainwright, RH Michael Wacha
Projected bullpen: RH Jordan Hicks (closer), LH Miller (setup), RH Dakota Hudson (setup)
The offseason: The Cardinals added the player who could most likely shift the balance of power in the NL Central when they brought in Goldschmidt. In addition to hitting .290/.389/.533 with 33 home runs, Goldschmidt has been selected to the last six All-Star Games while also winning four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves.
After being eliminated from playoff contention on the next-to-last day of the season in 2018, the Cardinals feel Goldschmidt can help bring an end to their three-year postseason drought.
“The more I know him and do research on him, and talk to people I trust in the industry and people that played with him, he's a special talent in and of his own,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “He can anchor an offense and lengthen the offense out. You've got to game plan for him, and that’s going to increase other guys’ opportunities.”
The Cardinals also added a second impact player through free agency by signing Miller to a two-year, $25-million contract. Despite having a down season in 2018, posting a 4.24 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 37 games, Miller is a two-time All-Star and was the MVP of the American League Championship Series in 2016 while pitching for the Indians.
Miller and Hicks, whose fastball was clocked as high as 104 mph as a rookie last season, could give the Cardinals a fearsome late-inning duo and should combine to more than adequately replace Norris as the closer.
Weaver’s absence is softened by the Cardinals’ rotation depth both in the major leagues and the upper levels of the minor leagues. Hudson, a rookie, could go from relieving to starting, if needed.
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PIRATES
Spring training site: Bradenton, Fla.
Last year: 82-79, fourth place
Projected 2019 payroll: $71 million
New faces: RF Lonnie Chisenhall (free agent from Indians), SS Erik Gonzalez (from Indians in trade), RHP Jordan Lyles (free agent from Brewers)
Out the door: 2B Josh Harrison (free agent), SS Jordy Mercer (signed with Tigers as free agent), RHP Ivan Nova (traded to White Sox)
Projected lineup: 2B Adam Frazier, CF Starling Marte, LF Corey Dickerson, C Francisco Cervelli, 3B Colin Moran, 1B Josh Bell, RF Chisenhall, SS Gonzalez
Projected rotation: RH Jameson Taillon, RH Chris Archer, RH Trevor Williams, RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP Jordan Lyles.
Projected bullpen: LH Felipe Vazquez (closer), RHP Keone Kela (setup), RHP Kyle Crick (setup)
The offseason: The Pirates’ wintertime moves have been quite underwhelming.
Their biggest acquisition was signing Chisenhall to a one-year, $2.75-million contract as a free agent after he was limited to 29 games with the Indians last season because of injuries to both calves. He will be the primary right fielder until Gregory Polanco recovers from left shoulder surgery, which could be anytime from mid-April to mid-June.
Acquired from the Indians in a trade, Gonzalez will compete with rookie Kevin Newman for the starting shortstop job. Gonzalez was a utility player during his three seasons with Cleveland.
Lyles signed for one year and $2.05 million in free agency and will compete with Steven Brault and Nick Kingham for the last spot in the rotation. The winner will replace Nova, whose $9.1-million salary was dumped on the White Sox in a trade for a rookie-ball pitcher.
Lyles, though, pitched primarily in relief for the Padres and Brewers last season, making just eight starts.
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REDS
Spring training site: Goodyear, Ariz.
Last year: 67-95, fifth place
Projected 2019 payroll: $123 million
New faces: LHP Zach Duke (from Mariners as free agent), RHP Sonny Gray (from Yankees in trade), C/INF/OF Connor Joe (Rule 5 Draft pick from Dodgers), LF Matt Kemp (from Dodgers in trade), RF Yasiel Puig (from Dodgers in trade), RHP Tanner Roark (from Nationals in trade), LHP Alex Wood (from Dodgers in trade)
Out the door: RHP Homer Bailey (traded to Dodgers), INF/OF Brandon Dixon (signed with Tigers as free agent), CF Billy Hamilton (signed with Royals as free agent), RHP Matt Harvey (signed with Angels as free agent)
Projected lineup: SS Jose Peraza, 2B Scooter Gennett, 1B Joey Votto, 3B Eugenio Suarez, LF Kemp, CF Scott Schebler, RF Puig, C Tucker Barnhart
Projected rotation: RH Gray, LH Wood, RH Luis Castillo, RH Roark, RH Anthony DeSclafani
Projected bullpen: RH Raisel Iglesias (closer), RH Jared Hughes (setup), RH David Hernandez (setup)
The offseason: Despite losing at least 94 games while finishing in last place in each of past four seasons, the Reds are in win-now mode.
Gray, Wood and Roark should provide a big boost to the rotation after the Reds watched one young starter after another being overmatched at the major-league level over the last four years. While Gray was signed to a three-year, $30-million contract extension following the trade, Wood and Roark are eligible for free agency in November.
Last season, Gray was 11-9 with a 4.90 ERA and 1.49 WHIP ; Wood went 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.20 WHIP; and Roark was 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
Likewise, Kemp and Puig are also in their walk years and the Reds are hopeful both will be motivated to have big platform seasons. Kemp hit .290/.338/.481 with 21 home runs and Puig batted .267/.327/.494 with 23 homers and 15 stolen bases.
Schebler will get the first crack at replacing the speedy Hamilton in center field, though top infield prospect Nick Senzel could make the conversion from infielder to outfielder.
Duke gives the Reds a needed veteran lefty in the bullpen.
The Reds also have a new manager in David Bell to go with their new-look roster. However, Bell is familiar with the NL Central, as he was on the Cardinals’ coaching staff for four years from 2014-17.
“When I look at our division it's so well rounded, every single night you go out and it's going to be a great competition from top to bottom,” Bell said. “I think it’s the best division for that reason. I think anyone has a chance to win this division, I really do.”
