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It’s the St. Louis Cardinals’ greatest trade since the Lou Brock heist from the Chicago Cubs a half-century ago.
It’s the finest acting job by a St. Louis native since Jon Hamm.
And it is the greatest new attraction in town since the Gateway Arch.
This is what the trade for Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado means to the Cardinals and their return to greatness, sponsored by Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt, who was last heard telling the baseball world that owning a baseball team was lousy business, and they couldn’t possibly increase payroll in the middle of a pandemic.
Incredible what a single move can do for a team’s image, while changing the narrative of its owner.
The Cardinals, who were playing hard to get for past the year in their talks with the Colorado Rockies, finally heard the proposal that was simply too good to ignore.
The six-player trade cleared its final hurdle Monday night when MLB and the Players Association signed off on the deal, sending Arenado to St. Louis for left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber, infielder Elehuris Montero, right-handed pitcher Tony Locey, infielder Mateo Gil and right-handed pitcher Jake Sommers.
You get Arenado, an eight-time Gold Glove winner, five-time All-Star, five-time top 10 MVP finalist and four-time Silver Slugger for nothing more than a back-end starter without a single prized prospect. The Rockies, believe it or not, are even kicking in about $50 million.
You call this a trade?
No wonder folks in Colorado are calling this the worst trade by any sports franchise in the state’s history.
There are no guarantees in baseball, or any sport, of course, but while everyone in the NL Central is stripping down or standing pat, the Cardinals’ stock is soaring.
This is a team that was badly in need of a power bat and defensive prowess. Arenado leads all third basemen with 120 defensive runs saved since 2013, while Cardinals third basemen have combined for minus-2 defensive runs saved.
The Cardinals hit the fewest home runs and were among the worst five teams in slugging percentage last year, while Arenado averaged 40 homers and 124 RBI from 2015-2019.
And all it took was money and ingenuity.
The Cardinals were able to get the Rockies to pay down the remaining $199 million in Arenado’s contract to about $150 million, with Arenado even willing to defer salary in exchange for another year and $15 million.
Oh, sure, there are two opt-out provisions in the contract, enabling him to walk away after 2021 and 2022.
The odds of that happening is the same as Rockies GM Jeff Bridich being elected Denver mayor.
Arenado has long been enamored with the Cardinals, speaking glowingly about the franchise for years. This is a franchise that has had 13 consecutive winning seasons, reaching the postseason eight times. The Rockies had a winning record only twice in the last decade.
He’s not going anywhere.
Arenado desperately wanted out of Colorado. If the Rockies weren’t going to trade him to his hometown of Los Angeles, the Cardinals were next on his short list.
The Cardinals and Rockies spent the weekend sorting out the financial details, and it became official days later.
Just like that, the Cardinals become the NL Central favorites.
This was a sensational coup for the Cardinals, who have a history now of plucking stars away from the Rockies, from Larry Walker to Matt Holliday and now Arenado.
The Cardinals still have blemishes, but considering their division is perhaps the weakest in baseball, they  could run away with it by August.
And, really, this is a move that made perfect sense for the Cardinals all along.
Meanwhile, Rockies fans may feel betrayed by their ownership – but certainly not by Arenado, who merely echoed their criticisms.
This was a marriage that soured almost before the ink dried on his eight-year, $260 million extension just two years ago, and now that he’s in a new relationship, Arenado will feel free.
He’s on a team that desperately wants to win, year after year, and as the Cardinals proved with this deal, it’s a tradition that isn’t about to fade away.
Follow Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale
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