Editors note: The following is a column written by Cardinals reporter David Wilhelm.

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THROUGHOUT THIS Albert Pujols saga, which began way back in spring training, a major concern of mine was that the St. Louis Cardinals didn't break the bank to retain one of the most iconic players in franchise history.

So a sense of relief settled over me when Pujols on Thursday morning bolted for Southern California, home of the Los Angeles Angels.

Sure, many Cardinals fans are bitterly disappointed.

Sure, they will miss Pujols.

Sure, Busch Stadium just won't seem the same next season without No. 5.

But on the bright side, baseball will survive. The Cardinals will move on. There will be more games, more sunny afternoons, more heroes, more memories.

Could the Cardinals have buckled and met Pujols' demands for a 10-year contract in the neighborhood of $250 million? Sure, it was within their ability.

But would that have been prudent? More importantly, would that have been what's best for you, the paying fan?

Imagine this: It's late July 2017. Pujols is 37 years old. He's still terrorizing pitchers, showing little sign of slowing down in the sixth year of his contract.

But the Cardinals are 42-62, 18 games (gulp!) off the pace in the National League Central. David Freese and Matt Holliday are playing OK, and Adam Wainwright has 13 victories. Besides that, it's a forgettable season.

Adding to the summertime blues is a Cardinals minor-league system that has stalled. There are no young players to provide hope for the future.

Would you be happy?

Would you still be supportive of all the money the Cardinals gave Pujols?

Would you understand when General Manager John Mozeliak and Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., year after year, explain that there is not enough wiggle room in the payroll to pursue trades or free-agent signings that would help the Cardinals get back to the top?

What happened Thursday morning ensured the Cardinals of remaining competitive for years to come, and they will be.

Letting Pujols leave is a good thing for that reason alone.

It was a blow this week when the Cardinals announced that Allen Craig had undergone surgery on his right knee. Recovery time will be four to six months, meaning it could be June before we see Craig on the field.

The promising Craig, 27, was a key insurance policy in the event Pujols took the money and ran. The plan was to have Craig take over in right field for Lance Berkman, who would shift to first base to replace Pujols.

Berkman will indeed move to first, but it's clear the Cardinals are going to have to fortify an offense that will miss Pujols' contributions.

Now they have the money to fill more than one gap in their lineup.

Right field? Why not Michael Cuddyer, Josh Willingham or Jason Kubel? How about another go-around with Ryan Ludwick? Or from the buyer-beware department, would you consider Carlos Beltran?

The Cardinals could go cheap and bring back fan favorite Skip Schumaker to keep right field warm until Craig is healthy. But a bigger splash is needed.

And whatever the Cardinals are saying, Tyler Greene no longer is the sensible option at shortstop. Greene deserves a chance, but not under these circumstances.

With the Cardinals showing little to no interest in re-signing veteran Rafael Furcal, switch-hitting Jimmy Rollins would be a bona fide upgrade. And he probably wouldn't command a six-, seven- or eight-year contract.

Rollins is 33, but his range and glove are good and his throwing arm remains strong. The former NL Most Valuable Player with the Philadelphia Phillies batted .268 with 16 homers, 63 RBIs and 30 stolen bases last season.

In the clubhouse, Rollins has been a galvanizing force, and he perhaps has been a better leader for the Phillies than Pujols ever was for the Cardinals.

It could take a week for Mozeliak and DeWitt to absorb the shock of what happened Thursday morning, dust themselves off and begin the recovery process. They will not have fond memories of the 2011 winter meetings in Dallas.

All of us can appreciate the greatness of Pujols. His 11 seasons with the Cardinals were magical, breath-taking, historic.

But this isn't the end. It's merely another beginning.