Jump to content
North Side Baseball
  • Cubs News & Analysis

    A Look at the Offseason for the Rest of the National League Central

    The Cubs have made a few moves this offseason, but nothing huge—at least, not yet. Let's check around the NL Central and see what the other teams have been up to.
    Michael Trzinski

    By Michael Trzinski

    Image courtesy of © Lexi Thompson - Imagn Images

    Cubs Video

    Much to the chagrin of diehard Cubs fans, the team has made a series of small moves this winter, but not any major ones. Most of the off-season transactions have involved relief pitchers. The losses of Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz should be offset by the additions of Jacob Webb, Phil Maton, and even Hunter Harvey, who is the subject of a Matt Trueblood piece on NSBB.

    As always with the Cubs, pitchers come and go, and it seems like manager Craig Counsell is drawn to former Brewers, like Hoby Milner and Colin Rea. Could six-year NPB slugger Tyler Austin come back to the bigs and successfully bludgeon left-handed pitching again? Can Shota Imanaga return to his All-Star form of 2024? The Cubs will challenge for the NL Central crown, but do they have enough to unseat the Brewers?

    Let’s take a look at the rest of the National League Central and see how those teams look after their rosters have been slightly shuffled.

    Note: All WAR numbers are courtesy of Baseball-Reference. All contracts are big league deals.

    Cincinnati Reds
    The Reds have made a handful of moves, but they're effectively having an even quieter version of the Cubs' winter. Status quo in the Queen City.

    Additions:

    Subtractions:

    Still Out There:

    Bleday will join the left-handed mix in the outfield, but will likely be a platoon/fourth outfielder. Myers is the right-handed version of Bleday, with less power. Pagán saved 32 games last year and is the front-runner for the closer role. Ferguson is likely to be the main southpaw in the pen, but is more of a LOOGY than a guy who can get both sides out.

    With the declined options, there are a few bullpen jobs up for grabs. Will the Reds re-sign one or more of the pitchers that had been cut free?

    Milwaukee Brewers
    The Milwaukee Brewers have made a few transactions this offseason, but Brewers fans are still waiting for the ‘big one.’ Off the field, general manager Matt Arnold was promoted to the position of president of baseball operations, securing (at least on Milwaukee's end) a few more years at the helm of the Brewers.

    Additions:

    • Traded for LHP Ángel Zerpa. 2025 WAR: 0.3
    • Signed OF Akil Baddoo. 2025 WAR: 0.2
    • Claimed LHP Sammy Peralta off waivers. 2025 WAR: -0.5

    Subtractions:

    Still Out There:

    The loss of Collins was met by mixed opinions from industry pundits. Although Collins played a huge role last year and earned some NL Rookie of the Year votes, the Brewers have enough depth in their outfield to work around the loss. Mears was a solid reliever but Zerpa is a lefty that can start or relieve, so he offers the pitching staff a little flexibility. Unlike Mears, he can also be optioned to the minors.

    Pittsburgh Pirates
    A few moderate-to-big names have flown across the Buccos’ transaction page so far this winter, including those involved in a three-way trade with Tampa Bay and Houston.

    Additions:

    Subtractions:

    Still On Board:

    The Pirates traded away a couple solid starters in Oviedo and Burrows, but got some pop on the offensive side with Lowe (31 homers in 2025) and O’Hearn (All-Star, 17 homers). Plus, even more importantly, they got the player with one of the best nicknames in sports. Jhostynxon García (pronounced JOES-tin-son) has the nickname ‘The Password.’

    St. Louis Cardinals
    The Cardinals traded away pitcher Sonny Gray and catcher Willson Contreras to the Red Sox and gained a couple of young starting pitchers in return. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom hinted at a full rebuild, and this certainly confirms that.

    Additions:

    Subtractions:

    • 1B/DH Willson Contreras (traded to Boston), 2025 WAR: 2.5
    • RHP Sonny Gray (traded to Boston), 2025 WAR: 1.4
    • OF/INF Garrett Hampson (released), 2025 WAR: -0.4

    Still On Board:

    If the Cardinals' plan is to get younger, they certainly did that. If addition to Fitts, May, Dobbins, and Kent, the Cards also added pitcher Brandon Clarke, a top Red Sox prospect. Pozo joins a three-catcher mix for St. Louis, but they have high expectations for the Cards backstop. ‘El Birdos’ have been out of the mix in the National League Central for the last three years, but Bloom and company are hoping the influx of youngsters can change that, even if it doesn't happen in 2026.

    What Does It All Mean?
    The Brewers have won three straight NL Central titles. Have the other teams done enough in the offseason to dethrone the Brew Crew? Or will one or more teams make a huge move in the next two months that will be enough to put them over the top? Time will tell.

    Follow North Side Baseball For Chicago Cubs News & Analysis

     Share
     Share
    Go to articles

    Recent Cubs Articles

    Recent Cubs Videos

    Community Blogs

    • Predicting the Cubs Wins for 2026: Revisiting My MOJO System
    • A critical look at the Cubs batting order: RE24 and other musings

    Forum Topics

    • Diamondbacks (Nelson) vs Cubs (Imanaga): 5/2/26, 1:20pm
    • Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-2-26

    Cubs Top Prospects

    Juan Cabada

    DSL Cubs - Rookie, SS
    Two days after turning 18, Cabada made his State-side debut. Batting third and playing second base, he went 3-for-5 with a triple and three RBI.
    View All Top Prospects
    A Complete History Of Chicago Cubs Owners

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    There are no comments to display.



    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...