ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - If you're a Cardinals fan, you've suddenly entered Dreamland. It actually still doesn't seem real.
Nolan Arenado?!
Nolan Arenado. One of the best third basemen of his generation was officially traded from the Rockies on Monday, heading to St. Louis for pitcher Austin Gomber and four minor league prospects.
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Arenado, an eight-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger, immediately injects life into a franchise with 11 world championships and a decade-long search for a 12th.
You think fans are energized?
Let's ask the Cardinals manager how he's doing.
"Just elated," Mike Shildt told me on KMOX Wednesday morning.
Shildt, who managed Springfield (AA) in 2012, met Arenado that year when the 21-year-old was playing for Tulsa. He marveled at the young player's love of the game then ... and does now.
"There's a baseball side that you appreciate," Shildt said about Arenado. "Love the game, love the style of play. The way he goes about the game. To start a relationship with Nolan (in 2012) and see his journey take place of the course of several years...I'm super excited about it."
Arenado is a baseball junkie, you could say. There are stories about him arriving for night games at noon, preparing, visualizing what's ahead.
"He's a guy that's just absolutely passionate about the game," Shildt said. "It just drips out of him. That's why he's going to be such a great part of our organization, because we have a long history and have players on our current club that are like that. And our fan base recognizes it ... you can't fool them. People love that passion in a player. He just has a real love for the game and a dedication to his craft. You could see that early on in Double-A."
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Tuesday, Shildt spent part of his day visiting with his new third baseman.
"One thing I talked to him yesterday is, he's super sincere about, this guy wants to win," Shildt said. "Similar to a lot of guys on our team. We've got a group of guys dedicated to the greater good of winning. And Nolan is really clear about the expectation of that as well. He'll fit right in."
I remember once getting Tony La Russa on the phone and asking him where he would put Scott Rolen in the lineup, when the Cardinals acquired the All-Star from the Phillies in 2002.
"Third base," La Russa told me, chuckling. He wasn't ready to reveal his batting order just yet.
Shildt? He's been putting pencil to paper, you can be sure of that. But wherever Arenado hits, he will have an impact.
"The bat, the glove, everything's to like," Shildt told me. "Gary LaRocque (director of player development), I love it when he sums up the evaluation of a player: How does he beat the other team? And you look at Nolan, he can beat you in a lot of different ways. He can beat you with his glove, he can beat you with his bat. He can take 'em away, he can add to the scoreboard. And he's a guy that's going to be really great in the clubhouse...and that residual effect on the field and in the lineup.
For sure, Arenado's presence will benefit everyone on the field and in the dugout, Shildt included. I asked the third-year manager about the support he's received in the last week from Cardinals ownership -- and the front office -- to make this dream a reality.
"It's beyond a blessing to have the job that I have, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals," Shildt told me. "When you have A+ ownership and a front office that supports what you're doing and gives you the tools. They can't always do it. We understand that. It's a tough job, because they have to stay in the moment, but also have an eye to the future. The economics of the situation are real and have gotten even more challenging, as we know, with everything that's taken place with COVID-19. Mr. Dewitt and the ownership has clearly demonstrated since 1996 their desire to put a quality and winning product on the field for our fans. And our front office, led by 'Mo' (president of baseball operations John Mozeliak), has demonstrated the same ability. Making sure we're in a good place moving forward. So they're great stewards for the St. Louis Cardinal organization, and I'm fortunate to be a part of the organization that they lead."
Before he hung up the phone, Shildt echoed the sentiments of Cardinals fans, two weeks before spring training and Arenado on the roster:
"Let's get this thing going, brother."