Pirates, other NL Central teams quiet so far this offseason

Ben Cherington has the reputation of being deliberate with his decisions.

He has lived up to that during his first six weeks as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ general manager.

Cherington has made just two player moves of note. Catcher Elias Diaz was for designated for assignment, and catcher Luke Maile was signed to a one-year, $900,000 contract as a free agent.

The rest of a roster that had a 69-93 record last season for a last-place finish in the National League Central remains pretty much intact.

So, what have the rest of the division teams been up to this winter while the Pirates basically have been inactive?

Well, the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have made minimal moves. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers have made plenty of transactions, and the Cincinnati Reds have pulled off the most significant acquisition.

Here is a team-by-team look at the rest of the division:

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs (84-78, third place) said they cannot make any significant moves until they reduce payroll. Third baseman Kris Bryant is the player most likely to be traded.

However, there is a rub with dealing the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year and ‘16 NL MVP. Bryant filed a grievance against the Cubs, claiming they manipulated his service time as a rookie to delay his eligibility for free agency.

An independent arbitrator is not expected to make a ruling until sometime in January. The outcome will have a major bearing on his trade value as Bryant will become a free agent after next season if he wins but not until 2021 if he loses.

So far, the Cubs only have made pitching additions on the margins. Right-handed swingman Jharel Cotton was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in a trade and righty relievers Ryan Tepera and Dan Winkler were signed as free agents after not being tendered contracts by other teams.

The Cubs have a long list of needs, including a starting pitcher, bullpen help, a second baseman and a center fielder.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds (73-89, fourth place) made the biggest move of any NL Central team when they signed free-agent infielder Mike Moustakas to a four-year, $64-million contact to play second base.

Left-hander Wade Miley will add depth at the back end of a strong rotation after agreeing to a two-year, $15 million deal in free agency.

The Reds also acquired three players in minor trades: right-handers Jose DeLeon (Tampa Bay Rays) and Justin Shaffer (Toronto Blue Jays) and outfielder Travis Jankowski (San Diego Padres). They claimed outfielder Nick Martini off waivers.

The Reds would like to add an impact outfielder and a couple of multiple-inning relievers.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers (89-73, second place) believe they upgraded their rotation by trading with the Padres for left-hander Eric Lauer and signing lefty Brett Anderson and right-hander Josh Lindblom as free agents.

Catcher Omar Narvaez was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade after Yasmani Grandal left for the Chicago White Sox as a free agent.

The addition of outfielder Avasail Garcia as a free agent on a two-year, $20-million contract means Ryan Braun will play more first base next season. The Brewers also added first basemen Justin Smoak and Ryon Healy as free agents and got Luis Urias from the Padres to bolster the corner infield spots following the loss of Moustakas to the Reds.

The bullpen is an area the Brewers want to address.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals (91-71, first place) have been quiet coming off their first division title since 2015. Their only moves of significance were re-signing right-hander Adam Wainwright to a one-year contract and signing South Korean left-hander Kwang Hyun Kim to a two-year, $8-million deal.

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt could use some protection in the batting order with an impact hitter behind him. Left fielder Marcell Ozuna was inconsistent in filling that role last season but remains on the free-agent market, making a reunion a possibility.

The Cardinals also are open to adding to the rotation.