National League Central News

Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs.

Nod to Carpenter on a tough call All three Cy Young candidates were tremendous, but no one was as consistent all season long.

The Baseball Writers Association of America will continue to dole out their postseason awards on Thursday, when the National League's Cy Young Award winner will be announced.

After covering the 22 teams that did not make the playoffs, it is nice to start to take a look at the eight teams that did make the MLB playoffs and can consider themselves somewhat successful.

After talking to seven or eight teams about trade possibilities Wednesday, Jim Hendry felt optimistic about his offseason game plan.

After shortstop Jack Wilson arrived in Seattle in a trade last summer, it didn't take long for him to know he wanted to stay.

A middle infield of Brandon Phillips, top, and Jose Reyes could be a possibility for the Mets.

CHICAGO - The St. Louis Cardinals returned home from baseball's general managers' meetings Wednesday afternoon much as they had left two days earlier - still wondering about the timeline for free-agent left fielder Matt Holliday's decision whether to return or bolt after three months with the franchise.

So here we are again, stuck at the crossroads where frustration meets failure, where your wildest Baseball wishes clash with your worst nightmares.

The Cardinals would love to keep Matt Holliday in St. Louis as support for Albert Pujols, but can they fend off the Yankees and Red Sox? AP Breaking down each team in the NL Central heading into the offseason.

Coming off a season in which they finished in fifth place in the National League Central and lost 88 games, the Astros have a few players who could find themselves in the running for one of baseball's postseason awards.

The Cardinals would love to retain Matt Holliday's services. They liked him for a long time before they acquired him, and they gave up a lot to get him.

The Yankees outspent the Astros by nearly $100 million in 2009. The Yankees won the World Series, the Astros finished fifth in the NL Central.

Expectations for the 2009 season were sky-high for the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite the departure of CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, many felt the Brewers would still compete for a playoff spot after successfully making the playoffs in 2008.

In some ways, it's the same old story. The Yankees win, the Yankees win, say it 27 times for emphasis.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced their 2010 spring training exhibition schedule Monday, beginning with a game March 4 against San Francisco in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Houston Astros elected not to pick up the 2010 contract option of veteran relief pitcher Doug Brocail, the club announced on Friday.

Geoff Blum remained with the Houston Astros, as the infielder signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million Friday.

Derek Jeter is stockpiling awards named after Hall of Famers. The New York Yankees shortstop and Albert Pujols of the St.

Sports Columnist Bernie Miklasz [More columns] Bernie Miklasz bjmiklasz@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8192 ST.