One free agent each NL Central team must sign to topple the Brewers in 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers didn't just win the NL Central this season; they cruised to their fourth division title in five years. The team won a franchise-record 97 games and were in first place from late July until the end of the season. Sure, there's a chance that valuable contributors like Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana won't be back in 2026, but even if they were to both depart, why should anyone doubt the Brewers at this point?

Every single year, they seem to find a way to do more with less than any team in the Majors. Their regular-season success hasn't translated to October thus far, but there's no denying that they're the team to beat in the NL Central in 2026 until proven otherwise.

Dethroning a team as consistent as any in baseball will be a challenge, but signing these free agents might result in a new NL Central winner.

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Pittsburgh Pirates: 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn

Admittedly, some of these teams' odds of winning the division are more realistic than others. Chances are, unless Bob Nutting decides he wants to win for the first time in his tenure as the Pittsburgh Pirates' owner, they won't be competing for much of anything next year. However, there's always a chance, and if the Pirates add some offense, they'll drastically improve their odds.

It'd be nice for the Pirates to sign a superstar like Kyle Tucker or Pete Alonso, but Nutting is not going to spend anything close to that kind of money. A move that is somewhat realistic, though, would be signing Ryan O'Hearn to a free-agent contract.

O'Hearn is not Alonso or even Josh Naylor, but his bat has been quite good against right-handed pitching since the start of the 2023 campaign, and his defense at first base is impressive as well. This past season, he slashed .281/.366/.437 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI. He was an All-Star and ranked in the 89th percentile in OAA, per Baseball Savant. It might not be superstar production, but that'll play!

The Pirates have the makings of an elite rotation, especially once Jared Jones returns from injury, but their lineup is what's holding them back. O'Hearn wouldn't turn things around by himself, but he'd steer them in the right direction, and at a reasonable price.

St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Michael King

Speaking of long shots, the St. Louis Cardinals are a massive one. They weren't bad in 2025, but they finished under .500 and are likely going to make several of their veteran players, including Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, available on the trade block. I'm not convinced that the Cardinals will try to win in the short term, but if they do, I think they've got an outside shot of stealing the NL Central. And their odds would increase exponentially if they were to sign Michael King.

The Cardinals need starting pitching. Gray's future in St. Louis is uncertain, and while guys like Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore are decent, they're far from frontline starters at this stage of their careers. This team had a 4.67 rotation ERA this season, good for 25th in the league.

A guy like Michael King can drastically change things in St. Louis. He won't come cheap, but he might be cheaper than he should be. He posted a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts this season, as injuries limited him substantially, but his sub-3.00 ERA in a 30-start campaign in 2024 proved that he can be a frontline starter when healthy.

His injury woes could keep him from earning the top-of-the-market deal he seemed likely to receive not too long ago, and the Cardinals can take advantage of that.

Cincinnati Reds: DH Kyle Schwarber

Okay, okay, this is a bit crazy on paper, but hear me out. Kyle Schwarber is a Middletown, Ohio, native, and earlier this season, he admitted that returning home would've been a dream scenario if he were offered the chance at a younger age. Winning and money matter, but if the right opportunity is there, why can't the Cincinnati Reds make a play for him?

Is it a long shot? Absolutely. I'm not oblivious to the fact that the Reds are not big spenders, and Schwarber is going to command a lot of money. However, the Reds were a postseason team in 2025, they need a big bat and Schwarber's childhood memories could play a role.

The Reds ranked 21st in home runs in the regular season despite playing in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the Majors, so adding a guy who just hit 56 home runs would certainly be a dream scenario. Again, it certainly isn't likely, but the Reds are a team that's been willing to spend to an extent in the past, and Schwarber is as good a fit as there is. Bolstering their offense to that extent, to go along with their elite starting rotation, would give the Reds a legitimate shot at winning the Central.

Chicago Cubs: OF Kyle Tucker

Is this a boring pick? Yes. Is this probably an unrealistic pick? Yes. Is it the obvious pick? Also yes. Look: Kyle Tucker did not finish his season strongly, but there's a reason that the Chicago Cubs traded for him. There's a reason he was in the MVP conversation in the first half. There's a reason he's going to be the highest-paid position player in this year's free agency class. He's a bonafide superstar.

Whether the Cubs will even entertain the thought of paying him remains to be seen, but their path to overtaking the Brewers certainly has him in it. Sure, the Cubs have Owen Caissie to replace him, and he might be a star down the line, but who expects Caissie to even be in the same stratosphere as Tucker in 2026? If the Cubs let Tucker go, how will they score enough?

The contract will be massive, and it might not sit well in Cubs fans' minds after how he finished the year, but this is a no-brainer. If the Cubs want to win this division, retaining their best player would go a long way.