Cubs' sense of urgency is the perfect reaction to their NL Central rivals' offseason

After seasons of limited offseason activity, Jed Hoyer has acted like somebody who has had a fire lit under his rear end. Being in the last year of your contract will do that to you. To Jed's credit, he's responded well. The acquisition of Kyle Tucker was a big step forward for the team. In addition, dealing Cody Bellinger to the Yankees has freed up a bunch of money, which will likely be used to pursue more pitching depth.

While the Cubs seem to be stronger at this point, the other teams in the National League Central seem to be stuck in neutral or possibly going in reverse. Let's take a quick look at what's going on in the rest of the NL Central.

The Brewers have their work cut out for them

Not surprisingly, Brewers star shortstop, Willy Adames left the team via free agency. The Brewers were unable to match the seven-year, $182 million contract the Giants gave Adames. It seems that Joey Ortiz will move over from third base to shortstop to fill the void. The dropoff in offensive production will be hard to fill.

The Brewers also dealt closer Devin Williams to the Yankees for starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and infield prospect, Caleb Durbin. Cortes had a solid 2024 campaign with the Yankees, going 9-10 with an ERA of 3.77. He also pitched 174.1 innings, which was a career-high. We will see if he can maintain that workload.

Caleb Durbin is an interesting prospect. He's built like a fire hydrant, standing 5'6" and weighing 185 pounds. He hit well in AAA last season, putting up an OPS of .867 on 375 plate appearances. The Brewers seem to do really well in this type of transaction. Last season they traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for infielder Joey Ortiz and pitcher DL Hall. Ortiz did an excellent job at third base for the Brewers last season.

It's hard to see how the Brewers aren't weaker going into 2025, but the team has shown itself to be remarkably resilient.

The Reds have been relatively quiet so far

Picking up catcher Jose Trevino from the Yankees for pitcher Fernando Cruz and non-roster catcher Alex Jackson doesn't seem like it will move the needle. The Reds were racked by injuries last season and could see some improvement by virtue of talented young players such as Matt McLain.

The Reds do have a fairly highly regarded farm system replete with pitching prospects, but there are a lot of ifs going into the 2025 Reds season

The Cardinals seem to be in decline

The Cardinals won 83 games last season but it was a season that ended their current version of their core. If anything, the team seems to be bleeding assets. Paul Goldschmidt won't be returning to the Cardinals, signing a one-year deal with the New York Yankees this weekend. Third baseman Nolan Arenado used his no-trade clause to block a trade with the Astros. If the Cardinals are able to move Arenado, they will probably have to pick up a big chunk of the remaining $74 million spread out over the remaining three years of his contract.

Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson both performed fairly well for the Cardinals in 2024, but both had their options declined. That means there will be some slots to fill in the Cardinals' 2025 rotation. The Cardinals' farm system is generally considered middle-of-the-road or worse, so it's hard to see how they get better in 2025.

The Pirates continue to need offensive help

The Pirates desperately need more offense going into the 2025 season. Thus far their response has been to trade for former Blue Jay, Spencer Horwitz. Initially, I was skeptical about how this would help with the Bucs. But upon looking at Horwitz's stats, he has shown a propensity for getting on base. That's a useful characteristic. He isn't however, a power hitter.

The Pirates have a well-regarded farm system, but it seems top-heavy in pitchers. While Horwitz should be an upgrade over Rowdy Tellez at first base, the Pirates seem like a team that could greatly benefit from a free-agent bat. I'm skeptical that the team will make a significant move.