This St. Louis Cardinals rival could be surprise contender in 2022

The Chicago Cubs could be a surprise division contender alongside the St. Louis Cardinals — as long as they add Carlos Correa.

When it comes to the National League Central, it is widely expected to be a two-horse race between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.

But could the Chicago Cubs be a surprise contender?

The signing of Marcus Stroman in itself does not make the Cubs a contender. Of course, he is a very good start to that process. He gives them a high-end starting pitcher alongside Kyle Hendricks, which is something they needed entering the offseason. Now, they have added both Stroman and Wade Miley, and the rotation appears to be a strength headed into the 2022 season. It would not be a surprise if they added another arm, however, though it would be a bottom-of-the-rotation type piece.

Stroman had not been in Chicago for more than an hour when he began recruiting star shortstop Carlos Correa to the Cubs.

This is interesting on multiple fronts. First, the Cubs need a shortstop after trading Javier Baez and many others at the trade deadline. Secondly, Correa has previously stated that he would like to play in Chicago, telling NBC Sports Chicago: “I would love to play here every single day in the but leagues. … I’ve heard a lot of players talk about how great it is to play at Wrigley Field. … Actually, a lot of players say it’s the best stadium to play at.”

Would Correa and Stroman make the Cubs division contenders? Without them, they finished 71-91 and 24 games back in the NL Central. The two would narrow that gap, for sure, would not be enough to vault them ahead of the Brewers and Cardinals.

They sure would help. They also would likely not be the only pieces they Cubs would add, with it being possible other players flock to Chicago to play with the two. But adding Stroman, a very good No. 2 starting pitcher, and Correa, arguably the best shortstop in baseball, would make the Cubs a formidable opponent that cannot be overlooked.

A potentially scary scenario for the Cardinals — and one that is a possibility as Stroman continues to recruit Correa to Chicago.