The Cardinals played the juggernaut Dodgers to a draw for 8 1/2 innings, but ultimately lost the one-game Wild Card and thus their season has come to an end. We are no longer in the world of off-days. It’s now the off-season.

We look back at the Wild Card game - noting the strengths of this Cardinals team that kept the game as close as it was, but also the weaknesses and a little #BullShildt that ultimately contributed to the loss. But it’s all with the caveat that it was just one game and frankly: These things happen.

From there, we shift gears into offseason mode, and say farewell to the Cardinals who are headed into free agency or have options that are unlikely to be picked up, and consider who if any of them may yet return.

Thanks to all of you who have subscribed to the podcast and/or to the Substack. This was a new venture for us, and it was really a shot in the arm to see how many folks followed along. We’ve been grateful for all the interaction and questions over Twitter and e-mail throughout the season.

We will be doing periodic pods through the offseason, around key moments and deadlines. Our guess is these will come around once-a-month, but we’ll drop an emergency pod if/when there are big, breaking pieces of Cardinals news, like when they sign Max Scherzer and Corey Seager on the same day, or when the DeWitts announce Mike Shannon was right and they are selling the team.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cardinalsoffday.substack.com