NL Central report cards: Grading offseason moves
With spring training fast approaching, theScore's MLB editors hand out their offseason grades for each division. We continue our report cards with the National League Central.
Three clubs - the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals - posted at least 97 wins last season, and the NL Central will once again be the division to watch in 2016.
The Cubs appear, at least on paper, to have separated themselves from the pack with three major offseason signings, but the Cardinals and Pirates are also positioned to remain competitive. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds are clearly entering rebuilding phases after parting ways with high-profile players this offseason.
Chicago Cubs
Key Arrivals: Jason Heyward (FA), John Lackey (FA), Ben Zobrist (FA), Adam Warren (trade), Trevor Cahill (re-sign)
Key departures: Starlin Castro (NYY), Edwin Jackson (MIA), Dexter Fowler (FA), Dan Haren (retirement), Fernando Rodney (SD)
140-character takeaway: Chicago's now the World Series favorite, and it seems like only a matter of time until the longest title drought in pro sports is over.
Grade: A+
Cincinnati Reds
Key arrivals: Jose Peraza (trade), Scott Schebler (trade), Blake Wood (FA)
Key departures: Aroldis Chapman (NYY), Todd Frazier (CWS)
140-character takeaway: This team could be historically bad after trading away two All-Stars. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips could be next.
Grade: D-
Milwaukee Brewers
Key arrivals: Chris Carter (FA), Kirk Nieuwenhuis (waivers), Will Middlebrooks (FA), Jonathan Villar (trade)
Key departures: Adam Lind (SEA), Francisco Rodriguez (DET)
140-character takeaway: The Brewers bolstered the farm by dealing away some top players, but Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy can't be happy with the rebuild.
Grade: D
Pittsburgh Pirates
Key arrivals: Jon Niese (trade), Sean Rodriguez (re-sign), Ryan Vogelsong (FA), John Jaso (FA), Neftali Feliz (FA)
Key departures: A.J. Burnett (retirement), Neil Walker (NYM), Antonio Bastardo (NYM), Pedro Alvarez (FA), J.A. Happ (TOR), Aramis Ramirez (retirement)
140-character takeaway: After three straight postseason flops, this team needed more than depth moves this winter in order to get over the hump in 2016.
Grade: C
St. Louis Cardinals
Key arrivals: Seung-hwan Oh (FA), Mike Leake (FA), Jonathan Broxton (re-sign), Jedd Gyorko (trade), Jose Martinez (trade), Brayan Pena (FA)
Key departures: Jason Heyward (CHC), John Lackey (CHC), Jon Jay (SD), Tony Cruz (KC), Steve Cishek (SEA)
140-character takeaway: Losing two impact players - Heyward and Lackey - to their division rivals hurts, and now the Cardinals need to fill the void internally.
Grade: C-