Really Early MLB Predictions for 2012--National League

The Reds will be celebrating an NL Central title this season.

This offseason isn't over but I think it's a good time to give you my early predictions for the 2012 MLB season after the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a nine year deal today.  Let's start with the National League Central which has lost 2 of it's best hitters in the last month and has seen the Cubs hiring a top 5 GM in baseball.

1) Cincinnati Reds
Last year I was down on the Reds going into the season but they've done a great job at upgrading their team this offseason.  Outside of the Miami Marlins, I think the Reds have put together the best offseason of any team.  They have arguably the deepest bullpen in baseball with the signing of Ryan Madson, the trade of Sean Marshall for Travis Wood, and Aroldis Chapman coming back.  The Reds have the best offense in the NL Central in my opinion with Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips.  The Reds do have some major holes though especially at starting pitching.  Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos are great at the top of the rotation but after that you have a ton of question marks in Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo, and Mike Leake.  If the Reds want to do anything in the postseason, they're going to need to upgrade their rotation by the trade deadline but I still have the Reds as the kings of the NL Central.

2) St. Louis Cardinals
The defending World Series champions had an amazing run at the end of the season last year but four months after winning it all, they look like a completely different team.  Gone is Albert Pujols a top 5 hitter in baseball and their team leader, gone is Tony La Russa a top 5 manager in baseball and a guy that got the most out of all his teams, gone is Dave Duncan who was the best pitching coach in baseball and turned a ton of nobodies into above-average starters or higher.   New manager Mike Matheny still has a team with a solid offense but a ton of question marks.  Will Matt Holiday recover from a less than stellar postseason?  Will David Freese carry his great World Series performance over to this season?  Will Lance Berkman prove last season was not just a fluke?  Can Carlos Beltran be what Lance Berkman was last year?   The Cardinals rotation looks good on paper but can Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter stay healthy and will Kyle Loshe or Jamie Garcia step up again to be their solid number three starter?

3) Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have had a very tough offseason.  First they found out Ryan Braun was going to be suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance and then they lost Prince Fielder to the Detroit Tigers.  If the Brewers want to make the playoffs again this season, they're going to need to get off to a good start in the first 50 games when Braun is out and I don't think they'll get off to that good start.  Aramis Ramirez had a pretty good offensive season last year but his poor baserunning and poor fielding almost outweighs anything he does at the plate.  The Brewers rotation looks pretty good on paper but I'm not that big of a fan of Zach Grineke who I thought was just average last season.  I really like Shawn Marcum but he's shown the inability to stay healthy throughout his career.

4) Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are a tough team to gauge.  They were an above-average team last season before Jerry Meals made that horrible call at home plate in Atlanta.  After that, the Pirates slid back to the team they've looked like for the last two decades.  The Pirates really didn't do anything to improve themselves this offseason as usual and if they want to succeed this season, they'll have to improve from within which I don't think is likely.

5) Chicago Cubs
The Cubs won't be good this season but they'll be much more exciting than last season because they actually have a plan moving forward.  Oh and Mike Quade isn't the manager anymore.  Theo Epstein has come in and hasn't made the big moves like signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder but has made the smart moves.  Trading Andrew Cashner for Anthony Rizzo, one of the best young first base prospects in baseball, is a much smarter move than signing a Prince Fielder for 9 years.  Rizzo won't start the year on the Cubs but will be up probably before July.

6) Houston Astros
Last year in the NL Central for this terrible team and good riddance.  The Astros are actually in much better shape this year than they were last year but this isn't say much at all.