3 NL Central teams in the postseason rubs salt in the wound of Cardinals' rebuild

For the better part of the last decade, the balance of power has been shifting in the NL Central.

After a ridiculous 16-year streak to open up the century -- one which included 10 division titles and four World Series appearances (two championships) -- the St. Louis Cardinals have mostly been playing second-fiddle to their chief rivals.

Starting with the 2015 NLDS loss to the Chicago Cubs, the Cardinals have only won the division twice in the last 10 years, and they made the playoffs just four times (in each year from 2019-22). In fact, they've only won one playoff series in that span, back in 2019 in the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.

Now, with the Milwaukee Brewers winning the NL Central for the fourth time in five years, it's clear who the top dog in the division is. Add on the fact that both the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds made the playoffs as Wild Cards this year, and it's clear that Chaim Bloom has a lot of work to do to restore the Cardinals to their rightful place atop the division.

Fierce, competitive NL Central could force Cardinals into tough offseason decisions

Besides the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates -- who are held together by Paul Skenes and a wad of duct tape -- the entire NL Central figures to be competitive for the rest of the decade at least.

The Brewers' aforementioned dominance already gives them a leg up, and the presence of young phenoms like Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski only promises to make them harder to beat as their stars mature.

The Cubs may very well lose Kyle Tucker this offseason, though a high-flying offense and sturdy rotation will probably keep them in the mix as long as Jed Hoyer can get out of his own way.

And the Reds, who made the playoffs thanks to an incredible collapse by the New York Mets, have the most future potential of any team in the division, with Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene piloting a very young, very talented squad.

That leaves the Cardinals, who finished this season 78-84 and in fourth place. With Chaim Bloom replacing John Mozeliak, there figures to be a lot of change in St. Louis this offseason. A Nolan Arenado trade could be just the tip of the iceberg; the team could move on from plenty of stalwarts over the winter, including Sonny Gray, Lars Nootbar, Miles Mikolas, Willson Contreras, and more.

Of course, with a solid yet unspectacular farm system in place, all of this prospective maneuvering will be a necessary evil to help the Cardinals keep pace in the NL Central arms race. Hopefully, it won't be too long before St. Louis is once again lapping the field.

That is, assuming the threat of realignment doesn't render divisions moot.