NL Central Update

Cubs: The Cubs now have a much better chance of signing the players they are pursuing because they have Alfonso Soriano. They are still looking into Ted Lilly, Gil Meche, Gary Mathews Jr., Vicente Padilla, and others. If they were to sign two pitchers and Mathews Jr, their payroll would be around 126 million. The Cubs are also getting serious about signing Cliff Floyd, who would platoon with Matt Murton in left.

Astros: The Astros have an offer on the table for Carlos Lee and Woody Williams. They are close to a deal with Williams, but teams who lost out on Soriano, are making a big push for Lee. The Astros are in a 6-7 way bidding war but may have the inside track because of location.

Brewers: The Brewers are looking more at trades then signings. They are open for offers for Brady Clark and Geoff Jenkins. For free agents, the Brewers have a growing interest in signing Dave Roberts, and also have shown interest in Tomo Ohka. But Ohka, who is Japanese, could be Matsuzaka's mentor his rookie season for the Red Sox.

Cardinals: Well, it has been reported that the Cardinals are looking to sign an outfielder, and Luis Gonzalez has been rumored as the favorite to play left field. They have also resigned Scott Speizio and Jim Edmonds. The only problem is, they have not openly addressed their pitching problems.

Reds: The Reds have recently signed Alex Gonzalez and Mike Stanton. Now, they are looking for a closer. The Reds are looking to either sign Danny Baez or Joe Borowski.

Pirates: The Pirates, like the Brewers are looking to trade rather than sign. Because they have so much pitching, they do have a better chance of trading for a center fielder, or first basemen.