NL Central

Behold a pale horse, the Pittsburgh Pirates are serious contenders for the World Series in 2014.

It's no secret that the only hope that exists for the Chicago Cubs is in their farm system. Top to bottom, they're one of the best in baseball; they were ranked No 4, according to Keith Law of ESPN Insider (subscription required).

It has been a long winter so far for Cubs fans in the Windy City. Two polar vortices and a failed attempt to land prized Japanese hurler Masahiro Tanaka have kept Cubs fans spirits in the proverbial icebox. There is hope, though, on the horizon, as pitchers and catchers officially report to Mesa in less than a month.

Let’s take a look at the pitchers and catchers that project to play key roles for the Cubs in 2014.

At last, the question of whether A.J. Burnett will retire or return to pitch in 2014 has been answered.

2013 ended with another disappointing first-round loss for the Cincinnati Reds. It led to the firing of Dusty Baker. Outside the big bats of Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, which players will be instrumental to the Reds' advancing deeper in the postseason? 

Ranking Criteria

To rank the players, I used past statistics as well as potential upside. A player who has been a consistent producer could be behind a player who could be a game changer for the Reds for that reason.

If only New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis could be the player he was in the second half of 2012 (.888 OPS, 20 HR in 75 games) over the course of a full season, he likely wouldn't be on the trade block this offseason. And if he were, teams would be much more willing to match general manager Sandy Alderson's asking price for the 26-year-old.

After Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune reported earlier today that the Chicago Cubs had reached agreements with three of their arbitration eligible players, five players were left for the Cubs to negotiate with before arbitration hearings begin on February 1. 

The last Brewers pitching prospect drafted in the first round that developed into an impact major-league starter was Ben Sheets in 1999. Since then, the organization has struck out repeatedly when drafting a pitcher in the first round.

With little major league-ready depth after their projected five starters, the Cincinnati Reds aren't currently in a position to shop Homer Bailey as he enters his last season before free agency. So it makes sense that the Reds were telling teams last month that he's not available, as was reported by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

It's no secret that the Chicago Cubs have been in a rebuild for the past couple of seasons, and the effort has resulted in several top prospects working their way through the organization. Some top prospects are still at least a year away from playing at Wrigley Field, while others could be making their way to the Friendly Confines within the calendar year.