Is Anyone Trying to Win the NL Central?

Major League Baseball might not yet know when the 2021 season will begin, but all 30 teams have laid plans to compete for the imminent start of the new campaign. As February approaches, the biggest names in free agency are starting to come off the board, and we’ve already seen several blockbuster trades involving marquee players.

Which brings us to the topic at hand: Is anybody actually trying to win the National League Central?

There’s plenty of evidence that indicates the answer is no. Entering Tuesday, NL Central clubs have spent less than $4 million combined on major league free agents, according to FanGraphs’ free-agent tracker, easily the lowest total of any division. That number will…