The Chicago Cubs were second in the National League in runs scored after the All-Star break as Kris Bryant rebounded from a midseason slump, part of what seems like an inevitable climb into the upper echelon of power hitters.

Kyle Schwarber showed the first signs that he will be among the better left-handed hitters in baseball. Anthony Rizzo finished 10th in the MVP voting in 2014, and after compiling 72 extra-base hits and reaching base 271 times in 2015, he was fourth in the latest balloting for the award.

Bryant is 23, Schwarber 22 and Rizzo 26, and with this trio, the Cubs probably aren't going to lack for run production in the years ahead, which is why their big-dollar investments in Ben Zobrist ($56 million over four years) and Jason Heyward ($184 million over eight years) are somewhat surprising. In recent years, we've seen payroll flexibility become as much of a weapon for contenders as roster depth, and the Cubs didn't have to invest the largest contract in the history of the franchise to put themselves in position to contend for a title. When the Cubs signed Jon Lester last season, he gave them the sort of top-of-rotation veteran they desperately needed. But for all the money spent on Heyward, it's not as if he fills a gaping hole, and unless the Cubs join the Dodgers and Yankees as teams that can operate without regard to budget, what this could mean is there will be future opportunities that might be bypassed because of the dollars committed to Heyward.

But at the very least, of course, they do have Heyward.