Despite subtracting two All-Stars, the Brewers haven’t made a notable addition. Former Yankees righty Nester Cortes, acquired in the Williams deal, would be the most recognizable name added here (infield prospect Caleb Durbin also was in the trade).

The Brewers have won three of the past four division titles and have an encouraging young nucleus. A couple of key upgrades might make a sizable difference here — and they wouldn’t even have to be in the more expensive tier of free agency.

Still, the Brewers won the NL Central last year after losing their manager and ace. They’re getting Brandon Woodruff back fully healthy, which could give them another top-of-the-rotation-caliber starter. The bullpen should be good even without Williams. The lineup has numerous young pieces, including former Braves catcher William Contreras — who ascended to stardom a season ago — and outfield sensation Jackson Chourio. Mainstay Christian Yelich is expected to be ready for opening day after his resurgent 2024 was cut short after he underwent back surgery.

Chicago Cubs

Chicago made the offseason’s most significant trade acquisition in getting outfielder Kyle Tucker from Houston. In Tucker, the Cubs finally obtained a player around which to build their lineup (though he’s a free agent next winter, meaning his future will be at the forefront of conversations in Chicago all season). They upgraded their bullpen with trades for Eli Morgan (Cleveland) and Ryan Pressly (Houston), though they could still use more pitching. They moved off outfielder Cody Bellinger, salary dumping him to the Yankees. They’ve reportedly been mentioned as a suitor for Padres starter Dylan Cease via trade, so perhaps there’s another notable move or two coming.

Still, Tucker is saving the Cubs from considering this winter a disappointment. A theme with Central clubs, the Cubs could’ve spent more to improve — especially considering their resources. Tucker is a difference maker who could help the Cubs ascend from 83 wins (in back-to-back seasons) to postseason participant, but there is plenty of room for further reinforcements. And with a bustling farm system — they placed five prospects on ESPN’s top 100 — there’s internal improvement coming regardless. There’s a pathway to the postseason in 2025, but the Cubs fall short of the NL’s upper echelon entering the season.

St. Louis Cardinals

It could be argued that no team has had a worse winter than the Cardinals, who’ve yet to sign a player to a major-league deal and have spent the offseason unsuccessfully shopping their well-compensated veterans to other teams. Third baseman Nolan Arenado and the Cardinals have worked to find him a new home, but Arenado’s age, salary and no-trade clause have complicated the process.

This has been a remarkably unproductive offseason for a franchise that needed to act with conviction. St. Louis wasn’t anywhere near good enough for a postseason berth last season, and now it has failed to improve its roster and hasn’t committed to a retool. The status quo leaves fans frustrated. The Cardinals, with or without veterans like Arenado and closer Ryan Helsley, are looking at a third consecutive year without reaching the postseason.

A silver lining: If their season unravels, the Cardinals should be major players at the trade deadline, controlling much of the market with experienced bats, starters and relievers available for contenders.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds will be a popular dark horse after hiring future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona, who’s expected to extract the best from this bevy of youngers. In trades, Cincinnati added starter Brady Singer, coming off a breakout year for Kansas City, former Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux, and reliever Taylor Rogers from San Francisco. It recently signed outfielder Austin Hays, an All-Star two years ago who’s trying to regain form. Those were appropriate complementary additions for a roster that hopes to push the franchise toward relevancy.

The Athletic reported the Reds had talks with the White Sox about outfielder Luis Robert. It’s clear the Reds are accelerating their timeline, especially with Francona in the dugout. A winner of 77 games last season, they’ll be a candidate for the NL’s most improved team. If they’re within striking distance of the postseason come July, perhaps this will be one of the more aggressive clubs.

Ultimately the team’s ceiling depends on its development. Elly De La Cruz is ripe to explode as one of baseball’s best talents. Then there’s Matt McLain, Spencer Steer and a fascinating combination of outfielders in a lineup that needs to be better than a year ago. The rotation could be superb with Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Martinez and Singer, along with talented southpaw Nick Lodolo.

Pittsburgh Pirates

This Pirates’ offseason has left one wanting more, as usual. The team possesses an electric rotation, one that would terrify any opponent in the postseason, but it hasn’t done enough solidify its standing. An approach like Cincinnati’s would’ve made more sense than one comparable with Milwaukee’s.

Pittsburgh, which has won 76 games in consecutive seasons, acquired first baseman Spencer Horwitz from Cleveland. It signed reliever Tim Mayza and utilityman Adam Frazier, both of whom had been with the franchise before, for small commitments. That’s about it for a team that hasn’t reached the postseason since 2015.

The rotation could be stellar with wunderkind Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller leading the way. There are some individual standouts in the lineup like Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes. But it will take internal growth for this team to contend for the NL Central title. There’s a surprise team or two every year, and while the Pirates could’ve better positioned themselves to be such with more additions, they’re still a candidate for marked improvement.

Pittsburgh is an excellent baseball town with a gorgeous ballpark, a fan base ready to erupt with enthusiasm, and a frontman — Skenes — who’s become one of MLB’s faces. The Pirates are notoriously cheap, but they could’ve done more to help their promising core to a postseason berth, particularly given their rotation won’t be this inexpensive forever. This winter feels like a missed opportunity.