NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Unless external forces create a change, nothing’s happening here. Both team President Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins are in solid with the Ricketts family. Hoyer and Hawkins also won points for their decision to stand against those demanding what would have been a senseless trade deadline shakeup.
Cincinnati Reds: This season alone, general manager Nick Krall’s efforts produced Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Andrew Abbott, Will Benson and Spencer Steer, all of that resulting in a contending position for the perennially downtrodden Reds.
Unless it’s of his own volition (and who’d walk away from this young cast?), Krall isn’t going anywhere.
Milwaukee Brewers: Promoted to president of baseball ops this past winter, Matt Arnold is in full command of the Brewers, who hold the inside track in the NL Central. He’s secure.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates started hot for general manager Ben Cherington, but cooled badly as summer wore on and will do well to escape the NL Central cellar. Cherington pinned many of his hopes on shortstop Oneil Cruz, who got hurt, and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who has underperformed.
On the plus side, Pittsburgh’s farm system is rated second best in MLB, so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Team owner Bob Nutting can be a very patient man; in his 16 years of ownership, Nutting has only had two chief execs, Cherington succeeding Neil Huntington. Unless that patience is wearing thin, Cherington probably returns.
St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals don’t take kindly to losing, but they’re also change-resistant in upper-level management. Since taking over in 1995, the DeWitt family has only once fired a GM.
Combine that with the fact that team president John Mozeliak has two years to run on his contract and he’s probably safe. GM Mike Girsch could be on shakier ground, but he’s Mozeliak’s guy until proven otherwise. The guess here is that the Cards stay with Mozeliak and Girsch and look for better times in 2024.