Today we will bring you the previews for the central divisions in the MLB.
NL West:
NL West:
Chicago Cubs (73-89)- The Cubs are now the Astros of the NL. They stink. This year won't be any different. They will improve a bit from last year, though. Javier Baez's impending arrival will propel them to a few extra wins. And they have a good young core with Samardzija, Rizzo, and maybe Castro. This team is a good year or two away from being a contender.
Milwaukee Brewers (81-81)- Somewhere along the way the Brewers turned into a bad team. They will be merely average this year, but the return of Ryan Braun should help them a bit. However, an offensive core of Mark Reynolds, Rickie Weeks, and Ryan Braun is not a good core. Jean Segura will definitely help the offense, but him and Braun can't carry the whole lineup. And the rotation is just as questionable. Yovani Gallardo, Matt Garza, and Kyle Lohse can all be great pitchers, but all are too inconsistent. Another year of mediocrity in Milwaukee.
Cincinnati Reds (86-76)- The Reds can be a good team. They just need a little more help from the offense. Sure Joey Votto is great, but other than him everyone else has trouble getting on base. Brandon Phillips and Billy Hamilton are the two other key guys in the lineup. If Phillips improves and Hamilton has a solid and consistent season, this team could sneak into the playoffs. The rotation is solid, but not great. Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos are great pitchers, but there are some question marks behind them. Ultimately, this team's playoff hopes depend on how Billy Hamilton plays this season.
Pittsburgh Pirates (90-72)- The Pirates had a big loss this offseason. Burnett is gone. They did sign Edison Volquez to take his spot, but Volquez has had trouble in a pitcher friendly NL team park. However, this is still a good pitching staff led by Liriano and Cole. The offense is also a bit weak. Not many games hit for average, but a few hit for power and that is good. Somehow it worked for them last season. McCutchen will lead the charge again this year, and will be the fuel to this team's fire. The Pirates could snag a Wild Card again this year.
St. Louis Cardinals (96-66)- They will of course be the team to beat in the division again this year. That is because they are on of the most talented teams in the league and actually got better this offseason. The signing of Johnny Peralta and trading of David Freese cleared up two black holes on the left side of the field. With Matt Carpenter moving over to third base and Mark Ellis taking over at second, the infield is stronger. The outfield took hit with Carlos Beltran's departure, but will be better when Oscar Taveras arrives. The rotation is excellent with Wainwright, Wacha, and Joe Kelley leading the way.The Cardinals could very well find themselves in the World Series again next season.
Now for the AL Central.
Minnesota Twins (68-94)- It will be one of those years again in Minnesota. They have a weak offense. Sure Mauer can hit, but his power has evaporated in the confines of Target Field. Josh Willingham will add some home runs. Maybe Aaron Hicks improves a lot his second season, but I still think at best he will be a .260 hitter this year. No one else on the offense is that notable. The rotation is filled with merely average or below average pitchers. Nolasco and Hughes aren't rotation leaders. Miguel Sano is out because of Tommy John, and Byron Buxton has minimal experience in pro ball. So they won't be helping this year. Another long year for Twins fans.
Chicago White Sox (77-85)- The White Sox have the players to grow into a winning team again. This isn't the year. However, that isn't to discount what GM Rick Hahn has done. He snagged Matt Davidson for pennies, and Adam Eaton for next to nothing. These are both players with bright futures ahead of them. Jose Abreu is also a notable addition, as he is set to become baseball's next phenom with his tremendous power. The rotation is where this team just isn't good. Chris Sale is the only pitcher that can dominate. Everyone else is a question mark. Once this team fixes their rotation, watch out.
Cleveland Indians (83-79)- The Indians lost pretty much their whole pitching staff this offseason. Gone are the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, and Chris Perez. Justin Masterson, Corey Kluber, and Danny Salazar are all expected to lead the rotation, and while they are all good, I don't think they are quite ready for baseball's elite. The lineup on the other hand is solid. Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana's positioning is what could push this offense into top five talk. Also if Ryan Raburn improves on last season and Franciso Lindor contributes upon his debut, this team could be in playoff talks. Right now, though, the rotation will cost them a play-off spot.
Detroit Tigers (89-73)- This is my bold prediction. The Tigers will be second place. They got worse this offseason. They traded Fister for nothing. Kinsler for Fielder is nowhere near a fair trade. Peralta is gone, with Jose Iglesias out for a while (and he already had a questionable bat). Plus they have a new manager without a lick of managing experience. Scherzer and Sanchez will be great again this season. It will be interesting to see how Verlander does after offseason core surgery. I feel he will regress a tad. In the lineup, Cabrera has little protection. Victor Martinez just isn't a name that strikes fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. The Tigers are still a good team, but not the best in the division.
Kansas City Royals (91-71)- The Royals will be the surprise team this season. They snuck up on everybody last season, and will continue to get better this season. The rotation is solid, even though they lost Ervin Santana. James Shield will be great. I think Jason Vargas will put up a much better year. He will have an ERA under 4 and 15 wins. Yordano Ventura will take the world by storm with his electric stuff. Look for him in Rookie of the Year talks. This will also finally be the year the Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas will start to look the playeres everyone hoped they would be. Aoki was a great add to the top of the lineup and will be a great tablesetter. Also Omar Infante shores up what was a black hole at second base. Watchout for the Royals this season.