Things got real before any of us even had a chance to know just what the St. Louis brass was about to pull off. It started around the time that Adam Wainwright came home for another season but in all reality, the Winter Warm-Up should have been the first clue.
I never got around to posting my recap about the WWU for a few different reasons, but it really came down to one main idea – something was missing. At the time and just after, my thoughts were about how the Cardinals were about to make a huge mistake. Players, coaches and especially the different hosts kept mentioning Yadier Molina and Wainright at every turn, but you can’t argue with the results now.
Waino knew before any of us and couldn’t hide his excitement although he doesn’t actually show a poker face on most occasions. Yadi was surely what he was downright giddy about, right? There couldn’t possibly have been anything else worthy of discussion after months of inactivity threatened to lead right into Spring Training. Welp, I was shocked when the news leaked and honestly, it won’t be wearing off anytime soon.
Let’s just say this once and for all – Mo has finally earned the right to preach patience. He definitely would also not be the one to play poker against no matter what! Not only did the Birds on the Bat shock their fans and baseball overall but sounds like St. Louis has no plans on stopping with one of the game’s best. Once Molina has put pen to paper, the haul will include possibly a trio of Cardinal Hall of Famers over a weekend of moves.
The dramatic turn of events included none other than Nolan Arenado, a literal figment of fan imagination. Stop me if you have heard this before but initial reports linking the team with that certain player hardly moved the needle. The Rockies certainly have their issues, but what game were they honestly trying to play this time? Haven’t baseball fans under the Arch had enough to deal with since the 2020 season ended?
Truthfully, the dream of adding Arenado seemed extremely unlikely ever since he signed that extension with Colorado. The money, years, opt-out – take your pick but surely the middle market Cards were going to pass if the Gold Glove savant was ever deemed available. Then the whispers became louder and one was left to ponder the impossible.
Even after the #28 jersey hanging behind Mo at today’s press conference and seeing the newest member of the St. Louis faithful, I’m afraid to wake up tomorrow and realize the wool had been pulled over our collective eyes. Nolan Arenado will be manning the hot corner in without a doubt the biggest theft baseball has seen in my lifetime. I’ll jump into what was sent back in the deal later this week, but it is easy to see why everyone has continually destroyed the Rockies for this move.
Enjoy it Cardinal Nation, we may never experience another week like this for another 40 years.
