Central Intelligence: Week of March 5th

The regular season is creeping ever closer, and the World Baseball Classic is in full swing along with that.  Here’s a look at the week that was in the Central:

Chicago Cubs

• Posted a 2-3-1 record, including a loss to Team Italy.
• Jon Lester made his spring debut, making two starts and posting a 5.40 ERA in five innings.
• Jason Heyward blasted his first spring home run in a game against the Angels
• Javier Baez is playing for Puerto Rico in the WBC.  Farmhands John Andreoli, Jim Henderson, and Erling Moreno are playing for Italy, Canada, and Colombia, respectively.
• Top prospects Ian Happ and Eloy Jimenez have had good springs, each blasting two home runs apiece

St. Louis Cardinals

• Posted a 4-2-1 record this week.
• Former Cub Dexter Fowler has had a red hot spring, batting at a .444 clip.
• Top prospect Harrison Bader has stuck out in spring training, he’s currently batting .375.
• Carlos Martinez, Yadier Molina, and Seung Hwan Oh are playing in the WBC for the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Korea, respectively.

Pittsburgh Pirates:

• Posted a 4-3 record, including a loss to the Dominican Republic.
• Ace Gerrit Cole made his spring debut, pitching 2 scoreless innings.
• Tyler Glasnow made his spring debut but didn’t fare as well as Cole did, getting hit around for 6 ER in 2.1 innings.
• Andrew McCutchen, Josh Harrison, Francisco Cervelli, Gregory Polanco, Ivan Nova, and Starling Marte are playing in the WBC. McCutchen and Harrison are on Team USA; Cervelli for Team Italy; Marte, Polanco, and Nova are all on the Dominican Republic’s roster.

Milwaukee Brewers:

• Posted a 6-2 record, including a split-squad doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers and White Sox.
• Newcomer Eric Thames has really struggled in the spring thus far, hitting at just a .167 clip with no home runs.
• Top prospect Lewis Brinson hit his first spring home run in a game against the White Sox.
• Hernan Perez, Carlos Torres, Wily Peralta, and Jonathan Villar are playing in the WBC.  Perez is with Team Venezuela, Torres for Mexico, Villar and Peralta for the Dominican Republic.

Cincinnati Reds:

• Posted a 2-5-0 record, including a sweep in a split-squad doubleheader by the Giants and Mariners.
• Superstar first baseman Joey Votto has struggled mightily so far, batting just .200 with no home runs.
• Top prospect Nick Senzel was scratched from a game due to a wrist injury. CAT scans were normal, showed no major damage.
• Jumbo Diaz was claimed off of waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Prospect Dilson Herrera and Scott Feldman are playing in the WBC. Herrera for Colombia, and Feldman for Israel.