2012 MLB Preview: Part III

With the first two divisions behind us, every entry from here on out will include at least one possible World Series winner. The NL Central's secrets are exposed, after the jump.





SIXTH PLACE: Houston Astros. No pitching, and even less hitting. They're my prediction for first pick in the 2013 June Draft, and that's the only good thing to say about them.

FIFTH PLACE: Chicago Cubs. This is typically where I'd gloat about being raised a White Sox fan, but I've already done the White Sox and they aren't exactly farting out future hall of famers either. I guess if anyone can turn the Alfonso Soriano contract into something of value it'd be Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, but they might just have to rely on Sori's bat instead. Matt Garza's pretty good, Ryan Dempster's pretty good, and after that... Yuck.

FOURTH PLACE: Pittsburgh Pirates. I have to nod approvingly at what Neal Huntington and Bob Nutting have done over the past few years. Trade anyone who isn't nailed down for prospects, sign the best kids to long-term deals, and spend like drunken sailors in the draft. With draft bonuses now capped for the foreseeable future, you've got to think they made the most of their talent-acquisition window with the likes of top draft picks Gerrit Cole, Pedro Alvarez, and Jameson Taillon. 2012 is probably a year too soon to expect that to translate into wins, but if the rest of the division declines there's a chance this team could sneak into the race. Adding A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard for next to nothing were solid medium risk/medium reward moves. At the very least it's better than what they trotted out there last year, when they led the division into July. Also, if you don't like watching Andrew McCutchen play, you don't like baseball.

THIRD PLACE:  Cincinnati Reds. They're in obvious go-for-it mode, as evidenced by their trade of two top minor leaguers and then some to San Diego for Mat Latos, as well as shelling out $8.5MM for one year of Ryan Madson absolutely nothing. Still, with a rickety back end of the rotation (Bronson Arroyo is a batting practice pitcher who's still owed $20MM plus), they don't have the pitching depth to make it through September. On top of that, they've given Dusty Baker the authority to grant playing time to Proven Veterans like Ryan Ludwick and Wilson Valdez. There's just too much that can go wrong here.

SECOND PLACE: Milwaukee Brewers. You have to love any pitching staff that starts with Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke- after all, it was good enough to win them the division in 2011. It sucks to lose a bat as big as Prince Fielder's, but I think the Aramis Ramirez signing will make it suck less. They won't lead the world in offense, but I think they're a good bet to make it back to October- less of a stretch now with the second Wild Card in play, but playoffs is playoffs.

FIRST PLACE: St. Louis Cardinals. Here's how it breaks down.
Defending World Champs
-(Albert Pujols + Edwin Jackson + some of Chris Carpenter's season)
+ (Adam Wainwright + Carlos Beltran + Rafael Furcal)

= Another deep pitching staff with some potentially dominant guys, one of baseball's best bullpens, and a lineup that will still have at least one MVP candidate (Matt Holliday). I can't say no to that.