The Milwaukee Brewers have made a few transactions this offseason, but Brewers fans are still waiting for the ‘big one.’ Off the field, general manager Matt Arnold was promoted to the position of president of baseball operations, as the Crew tries to fend off the risk that he departs for a top job in a larger market.

On the field, the Brewers traded Isaac Collins and Nick Mears to Kansas City for lefty reliever Ángel Zerpa. The team also signed free-agent outfielder Akil Baddoo to a big-league deal. Pitcher Coleman Crow was added to the 40-man roster and will be part of this year’s fallback plan if and when starting pitchers get hurt. Southpaw Sammy Peralta was selected off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels.

Meanwhile, Rhys Hoskins, Jose Quintana and Danny Jansen have hit free agency, after the mutual options for 2026 in each of their contracts were turned down by one side or the other. Jansen has already signed with the Rangers; Hoskins and Quintana aren’t expected to return.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the National League Central and see how those teams look after their rosters have been slightly shuffled.

Note: All WAR numbers are courtesy of Baseball-Reference. All contracts are big league deals.

Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have made several small moves, but haven’t made a big splash in the trade or free agent market so far.

Additions:

Signed RHP Jacob Webb to a one-year deal, with club option for 2027. 2025 WAR: 0.3

Signed INF/OF Tyler Austin to a one-year deal. 2025: played in Japan

Re-signed LHP Caleb Thielbar to a one-year deal. 2025 WAR: 1.1

Signed LHP Hoby Milner to one-year deal. 2025 WAR: -0.6

Signed RHP Phil Maton to a two-year deal, with club option for 2028. 2025 WAR: 1.3

Re-signed LHP Shota Imanaga to a 2026 QO. 2025 WAR: 1.5

Re-signed RHP Colin Rea to a one-year deal, with club option for 2027. 2025 WAR: 0.6

Signed RHP Hunter Harvey to a one-year deal. 2025 WAR: 0.7

Subtractions:

Still Out There:

As always with the Cubs, pitchers come and go. It seems like manager Craig Counsell is drawn to former Brewers, like Hoby Milner and Colin Rea. Could Tyler Austin come back to the bigs and hammer left-handed pitching in his return from Japan? Can Shota Imanaga return to his All-Star form of 2024? The Cubs will challenge for the NL Central crown, but do they have enough to unseat the Brewers? Right now, that seems far-fetched, but they could have another big move or two in them.

Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have made a handful of moves, but not enough to change things significantly. It’s status quo in the Queen City.

Additions:

Subtractions:

Still Out There:

Bleday will join the left-handed mix in the outfield, but will likely be a platoon/fourth outfielder. Myers is the right-handed version of Bleday with less power. Pagán saved 32 games last year and returns to the closer role. Ferguson is likely to be the main southpaw in the pen, but is more of a LOOGY than a guy who can get both sides out.

With the declined options, there are a few bullpen jobs up for grabs. Will the Reds re-sign one or more of the pitchers that had been cut free?

Pittsburgh Pirates
A few moderate-to-big names have flown across the Buccos’ transaction page so far this winter, including those involved in a three-way trade with Tampa Bay and Houston.

Additions:

Subtractions:

Still Out There:

The Pirates traded away a couple of solid starters in Oviedo and Burrows, but got some pop on the offensive side with Lowe (31 homers this year) and O’Hearn (All-Star, 17 homers). Plus, even more importantly, they got the player with arguably the best nickname in baseball. Jhostynxon Garcia (pronounced JOES-tin-son) has the nickname ‘The Password.’

St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals traded away pitcher Sonny Gray and catcher Willson Contreras to the Red Sox and gained a couple of young starting pitchers in return. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom hinted at a full rebuild, and this certainly confirms that.

Additions:

Subtractions:

1B/DH Willson Contreras (traded to Boston), 2025 WAR: 2.5

RHP Sonny Gray (traded to Boston), 2025 WAR: 1.4

OF/INF Garrett Hampson (released), 2025 WAR: -0.4

Still Out There:

If the Cardinals’ plan is to get younger, they certainly did that. In addition to Fitts, May, Dobbins, and Kent, the Cards also added pitcher Brandon Clarke, a top Red Sox prospect. Pozo joins a three-catcher mix for St. Louis, but they have high expectations for the Cards backstop. ‘El Birdos’ have been out of the mix in the National League Central for the last three years, but Bloom and company are hoping the influx of youngsters can change that.

Are the Brewers going to be the 2026 favorites for the NL Central crown? Last year, the Cubs dealt for Kyle Tucker. Many pundits thought that was enough to get them to the front of the pack. How did that work for them? This year, no one has made the big trade or signing that could be a difference maker—at least, not yet.

Do the Brewers have enough to claim their fourth consecutive NL Central title, or do you see another team that might be able to overtake them? Let us know in the comments.