Another Cardinal Year - NL Central Preview

As a division, the NL Central is the largest in all of baseball. With that being said, you'd expect that it could produce more than two teams with better than .500 records, but unfortunately, only the Cardinals and Cubs managed to pull off that feat in 2009. Still, the NL Central an interesting division to say the least. It features a multitude of young players on the cusp of stardom that can make or break their team's season. The Cubs and Cardinals, while being the two teams that have dominated the division in recent years, lack the intimidation factor and are beginning to show signs that their time is coming to an end.

With that in mind, let's break down the National League Central and see where the dice are going to fall this year.

Chicago Cubs

2009 Finish - 83-78 - 7.5 Games Back (2^nd Place)

Is there another team in baseball that embodies losing more than the Chicago Cubs? That's not to say this is a team that has had a tough time dwelling at the bottom of the division or anything, it's just hard to call a team a winner when they last won the World Series when Roosevelt was in office; Teddy, not Franklin. Still, the Cubs aren't a team without hope. They have a solid base of players on both sides of the ball. They just need a little bit of luck, which as we know, is something the Cubs have lacked.

Offensively, this is a team that depends more on health than it does on talent. The line-up is paced by Derrek Lee, who quietly year-in and year-out puts up MVP caliber numbers and Aramis Ramirez, who more than any other Cub's hitter, affects how this line-up comes together. From there, you have Alfonso Soriano, who could be a nice comeback player candidate this season if he can stay focused and has protection around him in the line-up. That's where Marlon Byrd comes in. Byrd was signed as a free agent to give the team additional pop in the outfield, something he should be an immediate upgrade over the now departed Milton Bradley on.

From a pitching perspective, Chicago is strong in the rotation, with a top three of Zambrano, Lilly, and Dempster. After those three though, the drop off could be significant. The number four starter, Randy Wells, is coming off of a career year that saw him come out of nowhere to post a 12-10 record with a 3.05 ERA. Whether or not he can continue that is unknown for the 28-year-old, but if he can at least come close, it'll be great news for the Cubs. The number five spot is up for grabs heading into Spring Training, between Tom Gorzelanny and Carlos Silva, neither of which appears to be a very attractive option, even at the end of the rotation. The bullpen is as equally jumbled as the bottom of the rotation, with Carlos Marmol set at closer and John Grabow at set-up, the rest of the relief corps are in disarray, especially after the news that Angel Guzman will opt for season, and perhaps career, ending surgery.

So with all this in mind, the Cubs are a team that could get it done, but need to get the necessary breaks to do so. Otherwise, they could just be a middle of the pack team just hanging around until mid-season.

Cincinnati Reds

2009 Finish - 78-84 - 13.0 Games Back (4th Place)

The Cincinnati Reds are a team on the verge of breaking through. A steady group of young hitters and pitchers have been landing in Great American Ballpark over the past few seasons and they appear about primed to take their spots in the Major Leagues.

The Reds resisted the urge to trade away the core of their pitching staff over the winter when they chose to retain both Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo and attempt to build the pitching staff around them and 3^rd year veteran Johnny Cueto, who showed signs early last season that he was turning the corner. Unfortunately, they will be without Edinson Volquez for most, if not all of 2010 after the pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery last August, but they replaced him with young Cuban fireballer Aroldis Chapman, who while a bit enigmatic as to what he'll bring the team, is as electrifying a pitching prospect as any in baseball.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Reds are a solid unit. Leading the charge is first baseman Joey Votto, who will look to build off of a career year and continue his recovery from anxiety issues that otherwise may have allowed him to have an MVP caliber season in 2009. Add to the mix Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, and veteran Scott Rolen, and the core hitters are solid. Orlando Cabrera will replace Alex Gonzalez at shortstop, which will also help spark the offense in 2010.

Cincinnati could easily be the most surprising team in the National League this season, similar to the Tmapa Bay Rays in 2008, but the pieces will need to fall into place. For that to happen, Bruce will need to take a step forward and the pitching staff will need to gel early. This could easily be a second place team or a fourth place team in a tough division.

Houston Astros

2009 Finish - 74-88 - 17 Games Back (5^th Place)

A few years removed now from their team's first World Series trip, the Astros are a team in turmoil. Ideally, they have themselves set-up to be players more in during the trade deadline rush than in the division race. They are full of key components, but none that will truly help this team contend.

The line-up is aging, but stock full of guys that know what it is like to have a big year, especially if Lance Berkman can find his stroke again, but consistency from year-to-year has always been an issue for Berkman. Carlos Lee is as steady a bat as they come in left field, and Hunter Pence will look to continue to build on a break-out season in 2009. Outside of those three though, the offense has an odd collection of youth and aging veterans, with no real direction as to which the team wants to commit to.

If the line-up doesn't give away the team's direction, the rotation doesn't do much to clear up the picture either. While it appeared the Houston was ready to toss the eggs into the basket of young pitchers Wandy Rodriguez, Bud Norris, and Felipe Paulino, the front office went out and signed veteran starter Brett Myers to come in and contribute. Rodriguez enjoyed a fine 2009 campaign, and it isn't out of the question to see him take over as staff ace in 2010 should the Astros choose to ship Roy Oswalt off at the deadline. The bullpen is equally muddled, with tryouts being held for the closer position between Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom.

Even at this early point in the season, it is easy to see that Houston needs to begin a rebuilding process. Given what they can get for Lee, Oswalt, and Berkman at this stage in their careers, the Astros would be wise to try and stock up their system with as much talent as they can get. Allowing development time to a group of young players on the way to a fifth place finish is better than putting your veterans through it.

Milwaukee Brewers

2009 Finish - 80-82 - 11 Games Back (3^rd Place)

The Brewers are going to be an interesting team to watch in 2010. Here is a team that has gotten by on the longball in recent years, but after the acquisition of Carlos Gomez in the J.J. Hardy deal with Minnesota and the promotion of Alcides Escobar gives them a different look at the top of the line-up. Coupled with a pitching staff with a lot of questions, and this may be one very exciting season in Milwaukee, even if it isn't fruitful.

Offensively, this as sound a team as there is in baseball. The tandem of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in the middle of the line-up is downright deadly. Coupled with a full season from third baseman Casey McGhee and a healthy return to form by Corey Hart and this line-up could have some serious punch to go along with the aforementioned speed. And that doesn't even include Mat Gamel, who himself could be ready for action this year.

Pitching is a different story altogether. Outside of young staff ace Yovanni Gallardo, this could potentially be one of the ugliest rotations in all of baseball. Gallardo has his credentials, and the stuff to get it done as the ace. He'll need to cut down on his pitch counts a bit, and that can be expected as he matures into a top of the rotation starter. The Brewers tried to get him help by bringing in Randy Wolf as a free agent, but Wolf may have reached last season in Los Angeles and may experience a decline in 2010. Outside of those two though, there is no telling what the Brew Crew will get from their final three starters, especially considering the four men fighting for the jobs are the enigmatic Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, Doug Davis, and Manny Parra. All four of those men will test a solid bullpen, which the Brewers are counting their blessings they have.

Milwaukee is a good team, but they will learn shortly that you can't win in Major League Baseball without solid pitching. Sure, you can outhit your opponent all you want, but when hitters slump and there isn't anyone there to keep them in ballgames, you get a fourth place team.

Pittsburgh Pirates

2009 Finish - 62-99 - 28.5 Games Back (6^th Place)

"Ugh". That is the collective exclamation that emanates from Pittsburgh year in and year out when it comes to their thoughts on the upcoming Pirates season. It's a shame really. For a team with a rich history in the game to have fallen so far off the map has to weigh heavily on their fans. Looking forward to the prospects of 2010 won't likely make them feel any better either.

This offense begins and end s with Andrew McCutcheon. The latest young star to be developed by the team, the question isn't always how good he will be, but how long he will be with the team. McCutcheon showed during a brief stint last season that he is ready and will produce at a high level. Outside of McCutcheon, the only other offense on this team will come from Garrett Jones and perhaps Ryan Doumit, if he can stay healthy. The Pirates are hoping that a change of scenery will enable Lastings Milledge and Jeff Clement to realize their potential, but both are unknown quantities at this point. Then again, perhaps they will get lucky and Pedro Alvarez will be ready to step in right out of the gate.

Developing pitching is something the Pirates have done to middling results of late. They've managed to produce a bunch of middle of the rotation starters, but no one that has stepped up and dominated yet. Paul Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, and Zack Duke all fit that mold, in that they occasionally get the job done, but none has overpowering stuff. The rest of the rotation is rounded out by young starters Charlie Morton and Kevin Hart, who both struggled in 2009 and may not contribute much outside of being placeholders in the rotation.

Death, taxes, and the Pirates having a top pick in next year's draft are the three things you can count on in life. The carousel keeps spinning players out of town for the perpetual rebuilding project that next seems to finish. This year may be quiet on that front, with the exception of Doumit or Garrett Jones possibly drawing interest at the deadline. Otherwise, it's just another day at the ballpark for the worst team in the majors.

St. Louis Cardinals

2009 Finish - 91-71 - First Place

The defending division champions look like a strong contender to repeat the feat in 2010. For the most part, the core of the team in unchanged from a year ago, so this is a team where we know exactly what we're going to get; a well-rounded team with a solid offense and a pitching staff that knows how to win ballgames.

The Cardinals knew that they could only survive for so long with Albert Pujols and a bunch of role players. Inevitably, they knew they if they wanted to win another championship, they would have to surround him with at least one other strong bat in the line-up. They did just that when they acquired Matt Holliday a year ago, and then opted to resign him during the off-season. A full year with the tandem on the line-up, coupled with the expected growth of Colby Rasmus in center and another steady campaign from Ryan Ludwick and the Cardinals will click offensively. Their only obvious holes come on the left side of the infield, where they don't have a solid answer to who will start at third or short in 2010.

The pitching staff is anchored by perhaps one of the best one-two punches in baseball with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation. Insert Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny, who will be another year removed from arm problems, and four fifths of the rotation is solid. The only problem is, there is no good guess as to who will be the fifth starter, although Kyle McCellan and Rich Hill look to be the two competing for the job. The bullpen is solid, but the big question is if closer Ryan Franklin will be the same pitcher he was in the first half or the guy who pitched down the stretch and looked like he peaked too early.

For all intensive purposes, the Cardinals represent the team to beat in the Central. Unless something goes wrong with Carpenter or Wainwright at the top of the rotation or an injury to Pujols or Holliday, the Cardinals should be able to plug in any holes to make themselves a playoff team again in 2010.

Projected Finish

1.) St. Louis Cardinals

2.) Cincinnati Reds

3.) Chicago Cubs

4.) Milwaukee Brewers

5.) Houston Astros

6.) Pittsburgh Pirates

Sources:

NL Central Standings, MLB.com

Cincinnati Reds, MLB.com

Chicago Cubs, MLB.com

Houston Astros, MLB.com

Milwaukee Brewers, MLB.com

Pittsburgh Pirates, MLB.comSt. Louis Cardinals, MLB.com