Grading the Offseason for Each National League Central Team

The National League Central is set to be one of the more intriguing divisions in baseball given all the parity, young talent, and uncertainty between these five teams. This offseason was busy for some and dormant for others, which should make for an interesting season as we get to watch all the deals play out on the field. With that said, as Spring Training has officially gotten into full gear, this feels like an appropriate time to grade each NL Central teams’ offseason based on how well they have set themselves up for 2025 and beyond. Without further ado, let the grading begin. 

Chicago Cubs: B+

The Cubs made one of the headline moves of the winter when they traded for star outfielder Kyle Tucker who will immediately plug into the middle of their order. They also made quality moves by acquiring veterans Ryan Pressly to hold down the closer role and Justin Turner as an above average bench bat. However, it felt as though they could have done a bit more. Turner felt like a consolation prize for Chicago after missing out on Alex Bregman who signed with the Red Sox, and while they brought in some good pieces in the bullpen, the moves made in the rotation are questionable at best. Chicago signed journeymen Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea to help fill out the backend of a rotation headlined by Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon. While those signings are still yet to play out, they could have allocated the money they spent on Boyd and Rea on some bigger names like potentially Jack Flaherty or even used that money to make a better offer to Bregman. Overall, it was a good offseason for the Cubs as they enter the 2025 season as the favorites in the division, but one or two bigger moves could have pushed them over the top and upgraded their grade to an A. 

Cincinnati Reds: B

The Reds made two interesting moves this winter that might go under the radar, but they both might turn into really good deals for them both this year and beyond. They traded former Rookie of the Year Jonathan India to the Royals for pitcher Brady Singer back in December. Singer has the ability to be a solid starting pitcher for a team that desperately needs quality pitching. Then, Cincinnati went out and found their India replacement by bringing in Gavin Lux from the Dodgers. They also added former outfielder Austin Hays and reliever Trevor Rogers who have had success in the past. While these are all solid moves on paper, none of them really jolt the Reds into contention in the National League as of right now, but their roster is loaded with young talent giving this team time to let things play out. 

Milwaukee Brewers: C+ 

This was a very Brewers-like offseason. They let Willy Adames leave in free agency, and they traded Devin Williams to the Yankees. A team letting go of two of their better players without much of a second thought usually signals a rebuild is in the near future, but not for the Brewers. This has been the Brewers model for a while now, and it has worked. They got Nestor Cortes, who has shown flashes of potential in his time with the Yankees, back in the Williams trade, and they have a solid young core that they feel confident building around within their smaller budget. I still had to give them a C+ grade because it is difficult to say that they got objectively better from last year after losing two of their top contributors, but do not be surprised to see the Brewers in contention for a playoff spot come September. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: C

The Pirates are more than likely not going to contend for the playoffs this year, but they feel that they are close. I think this offseason reflected that. They let some of their older players go elsewhere, while bringing in some quality pieces that should help them stay afloat in the short term while the rebuild continues to grow. Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier are effective utility players for them, and Spencer Horwitz should hold down first base for Pittsburgh this season. They did not do much when it came to the pitching staff, but they did not need to. This rotation is shaping up to be what will make this team dangerous down the road. As for now though, the offensive firepower is not quite there yet, and this offseason did not do much to change that.

St. Louis Cardinals: F

The Cardinals are the only team in baseball to do nothing this offseason, and I mean literally nothing. They did not bring in one player or trade anyone away. They had notable names depart like Paul Goldschmidt, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Matt Carpenter, but they all left via free agency. There were plenty of rumors about a potential Nolan Arenado trade, but those all seemingly fell through the cracks as he reported to camp in a Cardinals uniform. For a team that has young talent both in the major leagues and in the minor leagues, this has to be a disappointing offseason considering they did nothing to make the team better other than relying on the development of their young guys.