Cardinals fans... Don't Panic!!

On December 11, 2015, Cardinal fans got the worst news possible: Jason Heyward to sign with the Chicago Cubs. It didn't seem real at first. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I waited for a while to make sure this was legit. As I scanned Twitter more and more, it was all becoming a reality. Jason Heyward. Chicago Cubs. Ugh. I was devastated. Being from Kansas, living in solid Royals territory, nobody knew what that was like. It was the worst signing/trade announcement I've read since Pujols went to the Angels. My first reaction was pure anger. I couldn't wrap my head around it. How could he do this to us? It's the Chicago Cubs, our division rivals. Wait a minute. I sound like an idiot. What gives me, or anybody for that matter, the right to go off and judge a professional athlete's decision to relocate teams, before we know any details? So, that's what I did. The Heyward deal was for eight years, worth $184 million. That is roughly $23 million PER YEAR. The Cardinals, on the other hand, offered Jason a 10 year deal, somewhere in the $200 million range. If you do the math, Heyward would be making $20 million/year in St. Louis, versus the $23 million he could make in Chicago. The contract was finalized on December 15, and just like that, Jason Heyward was a member of the Chicago Cubs. Fans on the north side cheered and celebrated; fans in St. Louis were filled not with anger, nor sadness; but fear... and panic. Is this the year the Cubs really walk the walk? Will the Chicago Cubs be crowned 2016 World Series champions? The Cubs' lineup would probably look like this: Heyward, Zobrist, Bryant, Rizzo, Schwarber, Soler, Montero, and Russell. I will admit, that lineup is scary; actually, it's terrifying... But, we're all forgetting one thing: The 2016 season hasn't even started! Remember in the 2014 offseason, when the Nationals signed former Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer? I wasn't even sure why the MLB went ahead and played the 2015 season (obviously a joke), because these so-called "experts" were all picking Washington to win the whole thing. How did that work out for them in 2015? The Nationals wound up with an 83-79 record, and didn't even make the playoffs. Or how about the Red Sox, also spending big last offseason, picking up Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval? Boston finished 74-84 record, dead last in the AL East. My point is, the Cubs have made some big moves this offseason, but guess what? The 2016 season will still be played, and all thirty teams are coming to compete, including the Redbirds. Haven't people learned by now to not count out the Cardinals? This team came over so much adversity and injuries in 2015, and still finished with 100 wins. My message to all Cardinals fans? Don't panic. Everything will be okay. John Mozeliak knows what he is doing, and he is doing everything he possibly can to make sure Mike Matheny will be starting the best nine players on Opening Day. Well, that's all I've got. I hope you can see where I'm coming from, and somewhat agree here. Tell me what you think! Comment below and make sure to follow me on Twitter: @STLCards18. Have a great week everybody!