It has been five days since we found out the Cardinals failed to sign sensational Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert.

The Arch still is standing. Hyperventilation has subsided. Shouts from the angry mob have simmered to a grumble.

Life, like baseball, moves on.

There will be another pitch to hit.

There will be another exhilarating prospect or proven star up for grabs on the open market.

But I can’t give you a good reason to believe things will play out any differently for the Cardinals when that time comes.

You can hope, of course — and many will do just that — convincing themselves that the next time will be different from the growing list of last times. A tip: Resist. Realize this is a high-stress, low-reward exercise that is likely to leave you disappointed.

And it will remain this way until the Cardinals prove they have the desire and the ability to win a bidding war that plays out under baseball’s brightest lights.

Truth is, it’s speculative to say the Cardinals made a mistake by not beating the Chicago White Sox’s reported $25 million signing bonus for Robert.