NL Central

Cincinnati ESPN 1530 radio host Lance McAlister perfectly described the first half of the Cincinnati Reds’ season as “good but not good enough.”

#Reds 1st half: Good, but not good enough.

If I had myself a private audience with the Pope of the Tigers, Jim Leyland, I’d pretty much just have one question for him.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed Matt Holliday on the 15-day disabled list Saturday afternoon after the outfielder was unable to work through his hamstring injury over the All-Star break.

According to a statement from the team's official Twitter feed, the move is retroactive to July 12. St Louis has also called up Triple-A standout Brock Peterson to give the team depth during Holliday's absence:

“He’s excited.”

That’s how St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny characterized RHP Chris Carpenter as he continues to make his way back to the major leagues.

Carpenter has been sidelined for the entire season following complications with a nerve condition he received an operation on last year.

Matt Garza is arguably the best starting pitcher on the Chicago Cubs. He's certainly the best starting pitcher on the trade market this year. And that's good news for the Cubs, as their ongoing rebuild could very much benefit from a trade of Garza to a team that needs him more than they do.

All of this, however, doesn't necessarily make Garza a top-of-the-rotation starter.

The St. Louis Cardinals once again have the best record in baseball. If they can match that performance in the second half of the season, they're looking at over 100 wins.

But in order to do so, some players may need to step up.

As is natural, not everyone within the club has been pulling their weight lately. I've taken a look at the three hottest and coldest players heading into the break, keeping in mind statistics, capabilities and their value to the team.

Read on to find out who's hot and who's not!

As the July 31 MLB trade deadline inches closer, the St. Louis Cardinals will have a few decisions to make to improve the best team in baseball at the time of writing.

The bat that St. Louis Cardinals backup first baseman Matt Adams packs at the plate has a reputation that precedes it.

Adams has demolished balls at every level of professional baseball. His lightning fast bat speed, combined with a tight swing and a good eye, is what have carried Adams to where he is today.

Little has been said of his glove—until now, that is.

According to a report from Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com, Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano is willing to waive his no-trade clause to join a team that wants his power bat, so expect the rumor mill to include the 37-year-old slugger's name for the majority of July.

Homer Bailey is basically Nolan Ryan.

OK, maybe that's a bit of a stretch. But the Cincinnati Reds right-hander and the Ryan Express now have something pretty cool in common, and it also serves as clarification for a certain something else: the fact that Bailey is a lot better than you might think he is.