Last year was great. Now go do it again.

As pitchers and catchers prepare to report to Maryvale Baseball Park, questions remain as to what exactly the National League Central will look like in 2012.

Can the Brewers sustain the loss of Prince Fielder? Can the Cardinals sustain the loss of Albert Pujols? Can the Reds rebound from the terribly disappointing season they had in 2011, just one season after winning their first division title in 15 years?

And when on Earth will we know anything about Ryan Braun's status?

In St. Louis, Pujols is gone; his loss is the only one that could possibly be felt deeper than the Brewers loss of Fielder. To help shore up the loss of arguably the best player in the game, new manager Mike Matheny will move Lance Berkman from right field to first base, and put newly acquired free agent Carlos Beltran in right.

How the Cardinals will fare under a first-time manager is another huge question mark. Matheny, who broke into the majors with the Brewers in 1994, not only does not have any major league managerial experience, he has never even been a coach before. How he goes from being a teammate to guys like Chris Carpenter and Yadier Molina to being their boss can be a tricky transition.

Making it even tougher on Matheny is widely respected and longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan has taken an indefinite leave of absence to be with his cancer-stricken wife, Jeanine. While there is some dispute as to the length of Duncan's absence, most in the organization don't expect him back, and have promoted bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist to take Duncan's place.

On the bright side for Matheny will be the return of ace Adam Wainwright, who will try to regain his 2010 form after missing last season with Tommy John surgery.

In Cincinnati, the Reds have brought in several newcomers to try to recapture the division crown they won in 2010.

Mat Latos was acquired from San Diego for four players, including disappointing starter Edinson Volquez and highly-touted youngster Yonder Alonso. Latos will help anchor the Reds starting rotation alongside Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo.

In the bullpen, free agent acquisition Ryan Madson will take over the closer's role from former Brewer Francisco Cordero, who left Cincinnati for Toronto. Left-handers Aroldis Chapman and Sean Marshall will set Madson up.

In all, the Reds have made important but not necessarily headline-grabbing flashy moves to try to contend again. Former NL MVP Joey Votto still is the anchor of the offense, but Jay Bruce also had an outstanding 2011 campaign in which to build on this season.

Two key questions that manager Dusty Baker has to have answered this spring is how much production can he expect from third baseman Scott Rolen, who missed 97 games last season at the age of 36; and can Brandon Phillips continue to play like the best second baseman in the National League, which he has been for the last five years.

The rest of the division includes the putrid Houston Astros (for one more season before they move to the American League), the up and coming Pittsburgh Pirates (who faded badly in the second half of last season), and the Dale Sveum-led Chicago Cubs (who aren't any closer to winning in 2012 than they were in 2011).

This brings us to the Brewers.

The biggest question (other than the outcome of Braun's PED suspension appeal) is how can the Brewers replace the bat of Prince Fielder?

Simple. They can't.

But that doesn't mean the Brewers cannot compete. They will just need more contributions out of players that have been erratic at times.

Mat Gamel will be given every shot to be the everyday replacement for Fielder. Gamel has been biding his time at different positions at Class AAA Nashville for the past three and a half seasons, and it is put up or shut up time for the once prized prospect. Former Nashville manager Don Money publically ripped Gamel's work ethic and attitude at the end of last season, and Gamel himself has done little to endear himself to teammates.

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