Dylan Carlson is not the reason the Cardinals' did not trade for Juan Soto

The Juan Soto trade saga should be taken in a very positive light

Call me a John Mozeliak or front-office defender, but I genuinely feel like the Soto saga, paired with other recent developments since the trade deadline, should be seen as a great sign for the future of this team and moves they may make.

First, the Cardinals were willing to get into those talks, and had it not been for the insane asking price the Nationals had, there's a good chance they would've gotten a deal done. If you believe they should have pulled the trigger on a package that include Walker, Winn, Carlson, and multiple other prospects, I guess we just disagree there.

But let's be clear, the Cardinals knew what they were getting themselves into. They weren't naïve enough to think that it would take one of those robbery packages that they gave to Arizona or Colorado for Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. They knew it would take multiple, high-level young players, and they remained in negotations for weeks to see if they could pull it off.

They were also willing to take on a major contract in Soto, and who knows if they would have looked to extend him. I know the numbers on his deal will end up being crazy big, but with how young he is and how great of a hitter he is, it would not have been shocking for St. Louis to extend him. At the very least, the club was willing to acquire his $11 million dollar deal for last year, pay him $23 million this year in arbitration, and likely pay him over $30 million next year in his final arbitration year, along with paying Goldschmidt, Arenado, and the rest of this roster.

The moral of the story? The Cardinals are ready to make big moves, they are just being calculated and wise about what moves they make. If they had Juan Soto right now, are they the favorites to win the World Series? Maybe? But they likely don't have Contreras, they'd no longer have Walker, Carlson, Winn, and more, and may still have the same pitching staff they have today.

Instead, as John Mozeliak and the DeWitt family have continued to say, the Cardinals have money to spend this season should they look to take on another big contract in a trade, and they are set up to spend even further this offseason. I really, really like this team's present and future, and believe the front office will strike at just the right time.

In the meantime, say it with me now, heck, comment it down below so we can remind all of Cardinals' Nation...

Dylan Carlson was not the reason the Cardinals' did not trade for Juan Soto