NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
Lingering issues: The biggest question is whether the Cubs can stay focused after giving the franchise its first World Series title since 1908. Few championships in recent sports memory were more widely feted, and the celebration seemed to last into spring training. Manager Joe Maddon is a master psychologist, though, and the Cubs appear poised to make a strong run at becoming the first repeat champs since the New York Yankees won three World Series in a row from 1998 to 2000.
X factor: A platoon of lefthanded-hitting veteran Jon Jay, signed as a free agent in the offseason, and right-handed-hitting youngster Albert Almora Jr. will combine to take the place of center fielder Dexter Fowler, who bolted to the St. Louis Cardinals in free agency. If the duo struggle, the backup plan would be to move
Jason Heyward to center from right field, shift Ben Zobrist to right from second base and play utility player Javier Baez regularly at second base.
Manager watch: After winning NL manager of the year honors in 2015 during his first season in Chicago, Maddon cemented his place in Cubs history with the World Series victory. His contact runs through the 2019 season, when he will be 65, and the only question is whether he will continue beyond that point.
Cincinnati Reds
Lingering issues: The top two starting pitchers, Anthony
DeSclafani and Homer Bailey, will begin the season on the disabled list. DeSclafani sprained his elbow during spring training, and Bailey had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow just before the beginning of camp. Thus, the Reds could open the season with four starters age 24 or younger — left-handers Brandon
Finnegan, Cody Reed and Amir Garrett and righty Robert Stephenson. Catcher Devin Mesoraco also will start on the DL; the 2014 All-Star is recovering from shoulder and hip surgeries that limited him to 39 games over the last two seasons. X factor: Two veteran righthanders signed in free agency,
Scott Feldman and Bronson Arroyo, will be looked upon to stabilize the banged-up rotation and eat innings to protect the younger starters from being overused. If not, the Reds could be facing a repeat of last season, when they went 32-57 before the All-Star break. Manager watch: Bryan
Price begins the season in the final year of his contract for the second consecutive year. Though he saved his job last year by guiding the Reds to a 36-37 record in the second half, his overall record of 208-278 through three seasons makes his situation tenuous. In fairness, he has been asked to oversee a rebuild the last two seasons despite a paucity of top prospects.
Milwaukee Brewers
Lingering issues: Jett Ban
dy, acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in an offseason trade, will open the season as the starting catcher. But he will need to play well to keep his job. The Brewers also are high on Andrew Susac, whom they acquired last season from the San Francisco Giants, but he will start the season on the disabled list because of a strained neck and upper back. Journeyman Manny Pina has had a strong showing in spring training and could get more starts than originally expected.
X factor: First baseman Eric Thames was signed to a threeyear, $16 million contract in the offseason after starring in the Korean Baseball Organization for the last three years — the 30-yearold hit a combined .348/.450/.720 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) with 124 home runs and 64 stolen bases. The Brewers hope the improvement is real after Thames batted .250/.296/.431 with 21 homers in 181 major league games in 2011-12. Left-handed-hitting Thames will platoon with Jesus
Aguilar, who was claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Indians. Manager watch: Craig Counsell has done a fine job of overseeing the Brewers’ rebuilding effort since he shifted from his role as a special assistant in the baseball operations department 25 games into the 2015 season. He is signed through 2020 and is in no danger of losing his job.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Lingering issues: Righthander Drew Hutchison is in a three-way battle with two rookies, left-hander Steven Brault and righty Tyler Glasnow, for the last spot in the rotation. The Pirates are trying to revive the career of Hutchison, who made 60 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014-15 but spent most of last year in the minor leagues. The Pirates need improvement from their entire pitching staff — their team ERA rose to 4.21 in 2016 from 3.21 the year before.
X factor: The Pirates need a bounce-back season from An
drew McCutchen, who is shifting to right field from center after hitting .256/.336/.430 with 24 home runs in 153 games. His minus 28 defensive runs saved were the worst of any player at any position in the major leagues. The 30-year-old had finished in the top five in NL MVP voting in each of the previous four seasons, winning the award in 2013. Manager watch: Clint Hurdle enters the final year of his contract, and the Pirates have not moved to pick up his option for 2018. The lack of security is a surprise, considering he led them to three consecutive postseason berths from 2013 to 2015. That came on the heels of 20 consecutive losing seasons, the record for major North American professional sports.
St. Louis Cardinals
Lingering issues: Third baseman Jhonny Peralta has recovered from the torn left thumb ligament that required surgery during spring training last year and bothered him throughout the season. He will return to being an everyday player. Thus, manager
Mike Matheny must find at-bats for Jedd Gyorko, who hit 30 home runs last season. Trevor Rosenthal lost his closer’s job to
Seung-Hwan Oh last season, and then his bid to earn a spot in the rotation during spring training ended because of a strained back muscle. Ideally, Rosenthal would be the setup man for Oh. X factor: The health of right
handers Michael Wacha and Lance Lynn will go a long way toward determining the Cardinals’ fate this season, particularly since rookie Alex Reyes will miss the season after having Tommy John elbow surgery in February. Wacha was hampered by a bum shoulder throughout much of 2016. Lynn sat out the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Manager watch: The Cardinals fell one game short of making the postseason last year, marking the first time they have missed the playoffs during Matheny’s five seasons on the job. The near-miss didn’t change Matheny’s standing in the eyes of ownership. In November, he received a three-year contract extension that runs through 2020.