Alex Bregman is hoping to lead the Chicago Cubs to their first NL Central title since 2020 after signing a $175 million, five-year contract with the North Siders in free agency. But the competition is tough in a division that put three teams in the playoffs last year. Cincinnati added a familiar face when it signed Eugenio Suárez to a $15 million, one-year deal. The 34-year-old slugger played for the Reds for seven seasons before he was traded to Seattle in March 2022. The Milwaukee Brewers are the reigning Central champions, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are much improved after acquiring Brandon Lowe in a trade and signing Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year contract.