Cubs fans are going to be furious if this rival ruins their big trade deadline plans

Back in the day, it was the St. Louis Cardinals who seemed to have some sort of voodoo magic, always outperforming projections and expectations. That gift, if you want to call it that, has long slipped from their grasp - only to be taken up by another of the Chicago Cubs' top rivals - the team they enter Monday sharing the best record in the NL with: the Milwaukee Brewers.

The two clubs sit at 59-40, with Milwaukee winners of 10 straight contents as they look to continue their recent run atop the National League Central. The Brewers have won the division in three of the last four years and are looking to make it four of five, hoping to play spoiler in what may end up being a one-and-done for All-Star outfielder and MVP candidate Kyle Tucker in Wrigleyville.

If their surprising hot streak wasn't enough to draw the ire of Cubs fans, the Brewers have also been connected to a pair of prominent trade targets Chicago shares interest in: Eugenio Suarez and Ryan McMahon.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), the Cubs' top priority remains a starting pitcher - with the usual cast of suspects outlined: Marlins' right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, Diamondbacks' hurlers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen or, a slightly less sexy option, Orioles Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano.

Brewers could play spoiler by making a huge Eugenio Suarez trade

That's not where the Brewers are focused, though. Where these two rivals seem to be on a collision course is in the search for help at the hot corner. Suarez is going to be talked about right up until the minute he is - or isn't - traded by the Diamondbacks. He could be the first player ever dealt in-season with 35 or more home runs. The slugging infielder trails only Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh in long-balls this season and would be a huge pick-up for either NL Central club.

Rookie Matt Shaw has left much to be desired offensively and, regardless, the Cubs would be a better team if they had another impact bat who could play third, potentially shifting Shaw to the bench, where he could replace either Vidal Brujan or Jon Berti as the first-man-up for manager Craig Counsell.

McMahon could do that - or just be a more palatable, jack-of-all-trades off the bench, capable of playing around the infield or in the outfield. But he comes with a higher price tag and I'd imagine the Cubs are going to want Colorado to eat some of that money (he's owed a total of $32 million over the next two years) if a deal is going to come together.

One thing's for sure: regardless of how the next 10 days leading up to the trade deadline plays out, it'll be all eyes on these two teams in August when they play five games in four days from Aug. 18-21 at Wrigley. The NL Central title may very well rest on how that series goes - and their respective trade deadline performances could go a long way in determining that tilt.