Could the Cardinals and Yankees agree to a blockbuster trade this summer?
What will the St. Louis Cardinals do with Paul Goldschmidt?
The Cardinals superstar first baseman was named the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player but hasn’t quite been the same since. Goldschmidt had a down year in 2023 — by his standards — and hit 25 home runs, drove in 80 runs, and slashed .268/.363/.447 in 154 games played.
St. Louis struggled last season and Goldschmidt was mentioned in trade rumors on numerous occasions but ultimately stuck with the club. While this is the case, his future with the team still is unclear.
Goldschmidt will be a free agent at the end of the season and at this point doesn’t have an extension signed with St. Louis. The two sides have made it known they would like to continue their partnership, but they decided to push off negotiations to see how the season began.
The 36-year-old has struggled and is slashed .182/289/.227 with one home run and seven RBIs so far this season. He likely will turn things around soon, but his performance is something to monitor.
If the Cardinals aren’t in contention for a playoff spot this summer, Goldschmidt’s name likely will pop up in rumors again and one team that already has been mentioned as a fit is the New York Yankees, according to Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly.
“Ideal Landing Spots: (Cleveland Guardians), (Texas Rangers), Yankees, and (Minnesota Twins),” Kelly said. “From a legacy perspective, the St. Louis Cardinals might like to retain Paul Goldschmidt. He won NL MVP with them and has spent six years in St. Louis after an eight-year run with the Arizona Diamondbacks…
“However, from an on-field perspective, the Cardinals are an old team that probably missed their window. Goldschmidt will turn 37 in September and may like the opportunity to join a World Series contender this summer if the Cardinals’ season doesn’t pan out how they hope.”
New York currently is one of the top teams in baseball and likely will be looking to add this summer. Don’t be surprised if speculation creeps up if Goldschmidt and the Cardinals don’t agree to an extension shortly.
