Two weeks ago the Cardinals traded for Nolan Arenado and became the supposed favorites to win the NL Central.
Surely their roster still had holes, but the hype of the heist was enough for St. Louis to garner universal acclaim from the critics. The best third baseman in baseball, rescued from the aimless Rockies, content to spend the rest of his playing days with a perennial contender. That narrative was too good to resist.
Except it was also too good to be true, at least in what it means for the Cardinals this year.