Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak left with a clearer sense of the developing trade market, both for the outfielder he covets and potentially for the pieces he has to move. Unlike previous years when he has moved swiftly to snag the preferred free agent or stay ahead of a market that could shift, Mozeliak suggested this winter might require a more “patient” approach. The Cubs left with another trophy, executive of the year for president Theo Epstein, and some sense of the market for closers. The Cubs are shopping for a shutdown reliever in the ninth and intend to shape a bullpen manager Joe Maddon tried to avoid using in Game 7 of the World Series.

Epstein did not “sense a lot of desperation out there, or urgency.”

“More than ever you see a lot of planners,” he said, surveying the GMs in the room. “A lot of folks who have the ‘long term’ in mind.”

That fits the Cardinals and, especially now, the Cubs. The archrivals even have adopted the same phrase for their goal of “sustained success.” That’s new for the Cubs. So is the view for the Cardinals. Cashman knows the sensation of upended orientation, like someone flipped the polarity in the standings. But he keeps perspective.