Paul Goldschmidt is very certain to be one of the St. Louis Cardinals’ headline exits this offseason. Perhaps the only thing John Mozeliak needs to answer is how many familiar faces will follow him out the door as trade whispers swirl around Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Ryan Helsley, and others.
However, Goldschmidt will not be leaving via trade. The 37-year-old first baseman, who won the NL MVP award with the Redbirds in 2022, is a free agent this offseason. As Chaim Bloom enters the fray for the Cardinals, and after two miserable postseason-less seasons (which were not even close, it should be noted), the expectation is that the organization would reduce salary rather than make substantial acquisitions.
This sends a tough message to Cardinals fans and reflects poorly on Mozeliak and the organization’s management. The decision not to bring Goldschmidt back, especially at his projected market value, highlights their struggles. For a competitive team, his contract would likely fit within the budget, but the Cardinals simply aren’t in that position.
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That is a sad message to give to the Saint Louis faithful. At the same time, it’s an indictment on Mozeliak and the Cardinals organization for how ruthlessly they’ve mismanaged this franchise that they won’t get Goldschmidt back — especially at the price tag he appears to be demanding based on early forecasts.
If the Cardinals were competitive, they could easily accommodate this salary into their budget. However, they will not be.
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