NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals fans and Fantasy Baseball players across the country are facing the grim news today that ace Adam Wainwright will most likely undergo Tommy John surgery before the 2011 season even starts. 

With the Pujols situation looming large in Cardinals camp, the last thing they needed was something as catastrophic as this.

Co-ace Adam Wainwright has returned to St. Louis, just a few days into spring training, to have his right elbow examined. Many believe it to be a possible ligament injury.

Spring Training reminds us why we love the game of baseball.

Like a beautiful plant, it sprouts in the spring, blooms in the summer and is put to rest in the fall.

The beginning of camp always brings the promise that this is the year that we can go all the way. Milwaukee Brewers fans have added hope this spring after years of frustration. GM Doug Melvin rebuilt the starting rotation with two major offseason acquisitions.

He first traded one of the Brewers top prospects, Brent Lawrie, to the Blue Jays for Shawn Marcum.

It's that time of year again.  The time of year when you hear all the lines from players and managers about how good they can be this year, no matter what past history says.  You know, the "everybody starts out with the same record" or the always clever "we had a lot of injuries last year" excuse.

With spring training knocking on the door and snow falling outside my window I can't help but dream of baseball. To get ready for the 2011 season I am going to break down each team in each division and give you my predictions for the winner, MVP, and breakout player from each division starting with the National League Central.

Cincinnati Reds

During the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers made perhaps the biggest move this side of Cliff Lee by dealing four players for former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Combine that with locking up Rickie Weeks for another four years and signing free agent relief pitcher Takashi Saito, and it's fair to say the Brewers have been busy this winter.

Chicago is spinning with excitement for next off-season, and they haven't even been eliminated yet. Albert Pujols will become a free agent after the conclusion of this season, and some clubs have the rival right in their cross hairs. The Cardinals were unable to strike a deal with their current face of the organization and will now have to compete for his work. Pujols was reportedly seeking a 10-year, 300-million dollar contract and the Cardinals were unwilling to match it. Should the Cubs do what the Cardinals didn't?

Ryan Dempster, who is no more than a number two or three on most contending teams, will be the Cubs opening day starter on April 1st at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. No, this is not an April Fool's joke.

In truth, this decision by Mike Quade is less of an endorsement for Dempster as a true number one than it is recognition of the fact that the starter with the most talent is a head case.

St. Louis muscleman Albert Pujols has done a pretty good job of imprinting himself on Major League Baseball's collective consciousness these past several months as followers of the grand old game have been compelled to consider a radical change of venue for the stand-out Cardinal first baseman.  

Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein made a remark late last week that likely drew less attention than it deserved, especially as the world gears up for Albert Pujols to hit free agency after the 2011 season. 

In discussing the tactics that helped Boston sign free-agent Carl Crawford in December—despite rumors that Crawford would go to the Angels—Epstein mentioned that Boston scouted Crawford exhaustively throughout "the last three, four months of the season at the ballpark, away from the ballpark."