NL Central Issues

A GOOD SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE CENTRAL'S ISSUES:

By Tim Kurkjian
ESPN The Magazine

National League Central
Chicago Cubs: Will Mike Quade be the answer?
We have been fooled by the Cubs before, and vowed we won't get fooled again. But there's something refreshing and new about them hiring a career minor leaguer as their manager to restore thoughts that they can indeed contend in a winnable division.
The Cubs played much better for Quade than they did for Lou Piniella last year. And now they have Matt Garza in their rotation and a determined Carlos Pena on a one-year deal at first base. It still might not work, but it's certainly worth a try.

Cincinnati Reds: In what role will Aroldis Chapman fit best?
He will begin the year in the bullpen as a setup guy. Anything more would be too much for one so young and so raw. But his stuff is stunning, and it may only take a couple of months -- a la Neftali Feliz in Texas -- before he works his way into the closer's role. Or, if the young, talented Reds rotation needs help, Chapman's stuff will work three times through the lineup once he learns more about the art of pitching. But he has a lot of weapons with which to work.

Houston Astros: Was the purge the right idea?
The Astros weren't going anywhere anyway with Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt and the rest of the veteran players; moving some guys along to let the young guys play was the thing to do.
Now we'll see if Chris Johnson takes another step forward at third base, Jason Castro does the same behind the plate and first baseman Brett Wallace becomes the hitter so many think he will be.
Now, if the Astros can trade left fielder Carlos Lee, that would be a bonus, but it's highly unlikely.

Milwaukee Brewers: Prince Fielder
He will be a free agent after the 2011 season, and he won't sign long-term in Milwaukee, not at what likely will be for around $20 million a year. So the Brewers either will try to win the division with him -- they have a chance, having added Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to their rotation -- or they will trade Fielder during spring training, or sometime during the season.
It's a tough call for the Brewers: when to trade Fielder, and for whom. Teams these days are so unwilling to part with good young pitching. But one way or another, eventually Fielder is going to leave Milwaukee.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Is there any hope?
There is no hope of ending the Pirates' major league record of 18 consecutive losing seasons. But at least they will lose with a full season of Neil Walker at second base, Pedro Alvarez at third, Jose Tabata in left and Andrew McCutchen in center.
They still need a lot of pitching help, and maybe trading backup catcher Ryan Doumit can bring something.

St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols
Logically, there is no way the Cardinals can let Pujols leave via free agency. He has had, in some respects, the best first 10 years of any player in baseball history. Pujols is on his way to surpassing the great Lou Gehrig as the greatest first baseman of all time. He wants a contract done before spring training begins.
The Cardinals have the money to afford him; they have been gearing up for this negotiation for years. But they're not going to give him a 10-year deal. If he gets to free agency in November, all bets are off. But even if he does, how many teams can afford to give one player $30 million a year? The Yankees and Red Sox have long-term answers at first. The Cubs? Can they afford that? The Angels? This is a complicated story, but a simple one: We can't imagine the Cardinals letting him walk away.