Matt Garza and 10 Lame-Duck Players in the NL Central

After losing both Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, the NL Central is one big mess. This division could continue to change through or after the 2012 season, as many of the players who are on these teams can be considered lame ducks.

These teams are going to continue to build for the future, and some may see their current pieces as just stepping stones to advance themselves.

There is no clear front-runner in this division, but many will argue that the defending World Series champ St. Louis Cardinals still stand atop the hill.

The NL Central has seen plenty of changes this offseason, and here are another 10 players who may find new homes sooner than later.

Ryan Dempster

New team president Theo Epstein probably wasn't satisfied with taking on starting pitcher Ryan Dempster and his $14 million option that former general manager Jim Hendry gave him.

While nobody can blame Dempster for his acceptance, he definitely doesn't have an ideal contract for a team in rebuilding mode.

After having a terrible season this past year—4.80 ERA in 202 innings—there is no doubt the team will want to try to move him.

Dempster could tag onto a contending team late in the season if they need some pitching. If the Cubs don't make that move, one can assume Dempster won't be back on the North Side in 2013.

Nate McLouth

After being traded to the Atlanta Braves during the 2009 season, veteran outfielder Nate McLouth has decided to return to his original team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Unfortunately, there isn't much room for the former star on this team of young up-and-comers.

With the Braves, McLouth's hitting really regressed. He batted .190 in 2010, which he followed up with a somewhat better .228 this past year. He only appeared in just over 80 games in each of those seasons. With the Pirates, he will likely see even less time.

McLouth signed with the Pirates for just $1.75 million. While he will be a nice veteran piece for the team, in all likelihood he will just be a partial fill-in or a trade chip when the season gets rolling.

Bronson Arroyo

With the Cincinnati Reds acquiring Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres this offseason, it appears that the room for Bronson Arroyo in this rotation is just getting smaller.

Arroyo has been a staple with the Reds for the past six seasons, but he is coming off of his worst year since becoming a full-time starter.

He had a career-high 5.07 ERA while striking out just 108 batters—his lowest since 2005 when he struck out just 100 with the Boston Red Sox.

Arroyo is a talented pitcher, but his time may be running out with the Reds. With just two years left on his deal, the Reds will be looking to deal him to replenish their team while letting their young pitchers shine.

Casey McGehee

In a NL Central team swap, the Milwaukee Brewers sent third baseman Casey McGehee to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jose Veras.

McGehee has only been around for three seasons, but his numbers this past season were discouraging. He batted just .223 with 13 home runs and three doubles in 155 games. While he could find an early revival in his career with Pittsburgh, it will remain to be seen where he will fit with this young team.

McGehee will turn 29 this season, while his counterpart Pedro Alvarez is just 25. Alvarez wasn't too special this past year, but he may win this position battle thanks to promise of his future.

The Pirates definitely have pieces to play with, but if both guys come out playing solid, McGehee could possibly get something solid in return down the line.

Matt Garza

After many assumed the Chicago Cubs were ready to flip pitcher Matt Garza after just one season, the big-armed right hander was taken off the market just after his name hit the press.

The Cubs, who are in a rebuilding mode, know that Garza is their highest valued asset. OK—check that—shortstop Starlin Castro is likely that guy, but everybody knows they are not trading him.

Trading Garza could certainly get a lot of great rebuilding pieces for the Cubs, and in the end it may be too hard to hold onto him as the trade deadline nears. With the Cubs basically trying to build things from scratch, this team could be in trouble quickly.

Dumping assets for a high price will be the game plan for Epstein and company this coming season, so don't be shocked to see Garza joining another club.

Alex Gonzalez

At 35 years old, time is running out for shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Still, that didn't stop the Milwaukee Brewers from signing the veteran to a two-year, $8.25 million deal.

The issue with Gonzalez is that the team has a young up-and-coming shortstop in Jeff Bianchi, who could end up starting this season—which would disrupt Gonzalez's need of 525 plate appearances to activate his 2012 option.

If Bianchi shows any sign of being able to take on the day-to-day duties, Gonzalez will likely become extremely expendable.

It would remain to be seen if they could deal him at any time during the season, but there is no way he will be back in 2013 if Bianchi takes over.

Scott Rolen

While he has had a great career, time is running out for veteran infielder Scott Rolen.

Rolen, who currently plays third for the Cincinnati Reds, is coming off an injury-plagued season where he only entered the game 65 times.

He batted .242 with just 61 hits, which was a clear sign that things may be coming to an end shortly.

With his current deal set at $6.5 million, in all likelihood this season will be the last for one of the fans' favorite players.

Jake Westbrook

If there is one guarantee with the St. Louis Cardinals, it is that they always have solid pitching.

Unfortunately for Jake Westbrook, he may be the odd man out when top pitching prospect Shelby Miller finally makes his way to the field.

This one is more of a bold prediction, but considering that players like Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse all look solid, Westbrook's chances of sticking around are slim.

Westbrook was definitely the weakest in the bunch, having an ERA of 4.66 with just 104 strikeouts. He is 34 years old and will likely be targeted by any team in need of a veteran pitcher to help anchor their rotation.

Marlon Bryd

With the Chicago Cubs having a young stud center fielder in Brett Jackson breathing down veteran Marlon Byrd's neck, it is only a matter of time until Theo Epstein deals the former Texas Ranger stud.

Considering he missed some good chunks of the season this past year after getting hit in the face by a ball, Byrd actually had a decent year, batting .276. However, he only had nine home runs and 35 RBI—two stats he hasn't had much of since coming to the North Side.

Byrd has $6.5 million coming his way this season and can be a steal for any team looking for a little outfield help. The Cubs will likely look to move him just to make way for Jackson, and it could be much sooner than many would think.

Zack Greinke

After losing CC Sabathia to the New York Yankees, losing starting pitcher Zack Greinke would just be another heart-breaker to the fans of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Fact is, the team has a ton of money invested in Ryan Braun, and it will likely be hard to compete with the big spenders for probably the most coveted player on the free-agent market next season.

Greinke had good numbers this past season, even though he missed much time after injuring himself in a game of pickup basketball. 

His ERA was 3.83 in 171.2 innings. He also had 201 strikeouts, which was his second-best mark of his career.

If Greinke can produce once again in 2012, there is no doubt that the Brewers may find themselves looking for any spare change to not let another stud pitcher get away.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.