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Chicago Cubs: With Cardinals in free-fall, what lies ahead for the NL Central?

By Jake Misener

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 23: Manager Mike Matheny and Matt Carpenter #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals confront umpire John Tumpane after Carpenter was ejected in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on April 23, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 23: Manager Mike Matheny and Matt Carpenter #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals confront umpire John Tumpane after Carpenter was ejected in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on April 23, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – JULY 23: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs (C) congratulates Willson Contreras #40 after he hit a two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JULY 23: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs (C) congratulates Willson Contreras #40 after he hit a two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

All about capitalizing on your window

The Cubs have a window – it lasts through 2020, maybe 2021. Their young core remains intact through then and with the staff shored up in at least the near future with Jose Quintana joining Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks, things look good.

Throw in two perennial MVP candidates in Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo? Seems like a recipe for success. If Willson Contreras maintains his recent level of play to any degree and the Cubs are heavy favorites in the Central for at least the next couple years.

Here’s the thing, though. Windows do not remain open forever. The Cubs have a short window – well, an average one, in fact. Most big-league teams have around five years before they have to retool. And, if you think about it, it’s been far longer than that since the Cardinals took it back to scratch.

But, if they can’t squeak into the postseason in 2017, we may see St. Louis retool ahead of the 2018 campaign. Right now, things aren’t going well for the Redbirds. But given the front office and the baseball IQ in that organization, it won’t last long.

In the meantime, let’s just enjoy it.

Next: Cubs have an issue on their hands in Edwards

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