NL Central

As the Pittsburgh Pirates' young talent has started to graduate from their farm system in recent years, their outfield has become a much more exciting unit.

Entering 2013, the Bucs likely have two thirds of their outfield set for the better part of the decade, with several interesting candidates to fill the third position in the short- or long-term future.

As the spring begins to wrap up, things that were once question marks are becoming clear for the Cardinals.

The Cincinnati Reds are considering moving last year’s closer Aroldis Chapman to the starting rotation this season. With less than three weeks left in spring training, the team hasn’t yet made a decision, but that didn’t stop the pitcher from telling the team he wants to close.

The National League Central got a bit of a makeover this offseason, as the Houston Astros moved to the American League West as part of a small bit of realignment. 

Losing the Astros will actually help separate the wheat from the chaff in the division, because that franchise is in the early stages of a full-scale rebuilding job that basically made them a punching bag for everyone else. 

The five remaining teams will miss those wins against the Astros, but it should make for a more compelling summer of baseball. 

Times are changing in Chicago, and for the better. The Cubs are going through the rigors of a rebuilding process that started last year when Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were brought on board to give the front office a makeover. 

In their first year with the team, Epstein and Hoyer made a point to blow as much of the ship up to start over. They did make some smart moves with the big league team—giving Starlin Castro a team-friendly, seven-year extension, for example—but the farm system was the main focus. 

As the St. Louis Cardinals reflect on the unfinished business of 2012, they have to feel proud and disappointed at the same time.  Being one win from the World Series was not something Cardinals fans thought would have been possible in mid-August.

However, the Cardinals showed their teeth like a back-alley Rottweiler and made their push into the playoffs.  Now as 2013 is upon us, the Cardinals are poised to improve on their 88-74 record from last season.

Spring training is still very young, but the Cincinnati Reds have had already had some surprises.

Cincinnati currently owns the worst record in the National League. The record is irrelevant for so many reasons, but they need to see some improvement in certain areas.

The surprises have been both good and bad, but the bad ones have been more obvious. Spring results have no impact on the regular season, so let's not go overboard. 

While the on-field product and overall result may be uninspiring for the next several years, the future is undeniably bright for the Chicago Cubs.

The first week of Spring Training has come and gone, and there are a few interesting developments within the Pirates organization.

The majority of Spring Training results are meaningless (Andrew McCutchen isn't going to bat .143 this season), but the Pirates have so many interesting, fringe-starter types on their roster that there is more information worth monitoring than usual.

The #MartePartay Begins

Although the Milwaukee Brewers have a relatively deep farm system with many players close to the major leagues, it’s devoid of a true impact prospect. Rather, it’s top heavy with numerous high-floor players, many of whom are on pace to reach the major leagues in either 2013 or 2014.