Sizing up the NL Central: What each team still needs to do before spring training

The difference in offseason activity level in the National League Central has been stark. On one side of the division, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates have been active in attempting to improve for the 2026 season. The St. Louis Cardinals have been busy in their own right, too, dealing away veterans as they enter a new chapter. On the other, the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds have been very quiet coming off of playoff berths a season ago. Let's take a look at each team's offseason activity and what might come next. Additionally, we've assigned each team an urgency rating -- from 1 to 5, based on how much each still needs to accomplish before reporting to camp: 1 -- Their work is (basically) done. 2 -- They're having a strong winter, but more would help. 3 -- We'll judge their winter on where it goes from here. 4 -- We're waaaaaiting ... 5 -- It has been a disaster. Can they turn it around? Chicago Cubs Key additions 3B Alex Bregman RHP Edward Cabrera RHP Phil Maton RHP Hunter Harvey LHP Hoby Milner What they've accomplished so far: The Cubs have completely rebuilt their bullpen after saying goodbye to 2025 stalwarts Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz , adding Maton, Harvey and Milner. But their biggest addition comes at third base, where Bregman takes over for Matt Shaw . Shaw showed promise in the second half as a rookie, but he's not Bregman, who brings leadership and championship experience to the mix to go along with his hitting prowess. By adding Cabrera, the Cubs' rotation is as deep as it has been in several years, giving hope to a seven-month season. They ran out of arms last October. What they still need to do: With Bregman in the mix, the Cubs have a surplus in the infield. Do they keep everyone or make a trade? Second baseman Nico Hoerner is a free agent next year but moving him would hamper the team's chances of winning, no matter where else they strengthen the roster -- Hoerner was that valuable to the team last season. And with Kyle Tucker moving on and prospect Owen Caissie traded for Cabrera, is right field Seiya Suzuki 's domain again? Urgency Rating: 1 Cincinnati Reds Key additions None What they've accomplished so far: Cincinnati has rebuilt its bullpen to some extent, re-signing Emilio Pagan while adding Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson to their mix. Outside of that, it's been a relatively quiet offseason after an early dalliance with then-free agent Kyle Schwarber . What they still need to do: Beef up their offense. It's no secret Cincinnati was deficient at the plate a lot of the time in 2025, but it has yet to make a significant upgrade there. There's still time as the Reds continue to explore both free agency and trades. Dangling one of their starters -- they are deep there -- is one way to go. A reunion with Eugenio Suarez would...

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