2012 was a disappointing season for both Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, as neither team qualified for the playoffs. The upcoming year is not going to be any easier, but in order to stay afloat both teams need to strengthen their lineup. With some of the best players being already signed by major clubs, the aforementioned teams have to settle for second best and make the most of it. Chicago can consider itself lucky for signing Luis Valbuena, especially with the infielder settling for a one-year contract and the payout below $1 million.

Despite the fact that Luis Valbuena made a bit over half of this amount in 2012, many expected him to request a larger sum for extending his contract with the struggling Cubs. After mediocre seasons with Cleveland, he’s obviously on the mend and is exactly the kind of acquisition that Chicago needs to break out of its funk. Another three players that the Cubs are hoping to keep are Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and James Russell, which are all eligible for arbitration.

Milwaukee took a leap of faith by signing Chris Narveson for a $840,000, given the fact that he suffered a season-ending surgery back in April after only playing two games. Despite the fact that he only played two games in 2012 he earned half $1 million and the Brewers can only hope that the season they would receive more in exchange of the money they paid the starting pitcher. They’re also giving Kelvim Escobar a chance to prove his worth in the minor leagues, even though he is 36 years old and has only one MLB game in hand over the course of four years.