• But what about the years of control lost and the dispatched draft pick? Yes, the trade gave up many years of control for just one guaranteed year of Goldschmidt. But how many years would the Cardinals have had to wait to produce a hitter like Goldschmidt? Yes, the trade included a compensation round draft pick in the 2019 draft. But remember, if the Cardinals don't strike an extension with Goldschmidt, and he turns down a qualifying offer from the Cardinals to enter free agency, that would mean the Cardinals would receive a compensation pick. And that would be a first-round pick. The Cardinals have been accused of prospect hoarding. This is the opposite of that. They turned depth into an answer.

• This is where I want to tell you that the trade for Goldschmidt does not keep the Cardinals from going after Bryce Harper. I won't do that. Would love to see it. But I don't think it's realistic. I beat the Harper drum as much as anyone, but it was never realistic that the Cardinals would attempt to land both Harper AND Goldschmidt. Not when you consider how the Cardinals operate. They identified the need for one big bat. They got it in Goldschmidt. Manny Machado had not been linked to the Cardinals at all since his postseason flop, and with Matt Carpenter shifting back to third base, don't expect the Cardinals to be in on Machado either. They can and should still spend in other ways. One of the pluses of the Goldschmidt trade is his salary for 2019. He makes just $14.5 million this season. That means a good chunk of change is left to spend. The Cardinals have plenty of cash for bullpen splurging, for example. The Cardinals seem to have made their big splash. Postseason success could be determined by what occurs in its wake. The Cardinals paid in prospects. They have yet to pay in dollars. There are smart non-Harper ways to do that now that the big bat is on board.