It's natural to feel like speeding past the pain of another early postseason ejection for the Cardinals and fast forward to free-agent shopping for 2023, but some examination of components that contributed to another October collapse should occur first.
Before fans whip themselves into a frenzy about which players the Cardinals should add — some will be realistic, some will not — their favorite team needs to take a long, hard look at how a regular season filled with history made and fun moments produced derailed immediately in the National League Wild Card round despite having the series at home.
Some uncomfortable numbers stand out ...
