Bernie On The NL Central: The Reactivated Cubs Make Their Move and Resume Their Pursuit Of the Cardinals.

The Cubs are getting ready to play ball and take on St. Louis and Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central. The Cardinals are less likely to have an easy jog to the division title. They have a 1-9 record in their last 10 postseason games. The team has a deliberate, disciplined strategy. It has been effective for a long time. If the team wants to go big and bold, it should make a big move at the trade deadline. Maybe the Central will be more challenging for the Cardinals in 2023.

The Brewers are betting on Jesse Winker's success in the NL Central. The Cubs reactivated their team and signed Dansby Swanson to a seven-year contract worth $177 million. The Cardinals are still interested in playing the Cubs in 2022. They are also interested to play against them in 2023. It is possible that the Cardinals will trade one of their starters. In the meantime, the Brewers could trade their young players. For example, William Contreras was traded to Milwaukee for a young catcher-DH.

The Chicago Cubs have lost their way after the 2016 World Series triumph. They traded Yu Darvish and non-tendered Kyle Schwarber. The team has failed to win a postseason round since defeating Washington in the 2017 NLDS. Since winning the World series in 2016, the Cubs are 4-9 in postseason games. Their two-season winning percentage was .448. Chicago is spending $740 million on a redevelopment of the Wrigleyville area. It's not realistic to do nothing. So the team made a play for Swanson. Swanson is an All-Star shortstop with a World Championship ring and a Gold Glove award.

Bernie invites you to listen to his sports-talk show on 590 The Fan, KFNS-AM. Bernie has been a sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 26 years. He has also written for The Athletic, Dallas Morning News and Baltimore News American. He and his wife Kirsten live in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood of St Louis.