Cardinals:Why We Want To Retake Paul Goldschmidt For $50m In 2025 Season.
While the St. Louis Cardinals have rebounded from a slow start this year, veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has continued to have his worst offensive season. Due to his struggles, age, and expiring contract, many feel the Cardinals must move on from the former MVP after the season.
However, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently reported that the team has an interest in retaining Goldschmidt for 2025.
Goold mentions that talks regarding a potential return will likely start after the season. He also mentions that the team could treat Goldschmidt similarly to how they handled Adam Wainwright late in his career.
Perhaps that’s not the most surprising development considering the organization’s player-friendly reputation. And while Goldschmidt established himself with the Arizona Diamondbacks, his success in St. Louis likely earned him a prominent place in the franchise’s history.
In his six seasons with the Cardinals (including 2024), Goldschmidt has posted a .844 OPS (130 OPS+) with 827 hits and 148 homers. His accolades during this time include a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All-Star nomination, and the 2022 MVP Award.
There is some logic to the Cardinals wanting to bring Goldschmidt and his elite reputation back. However, part of the team’s struggles this year is poor offense against left-handed pitching. Struggles from expensive and aging veterans Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have played a big role in this.
Relying on a rebound performance from a late-30s first baseman is a poor roster-building strategy. This is especially true when the team has plenty of quality in-house replacements, as the Cardinals do.
The best organizations know when to move on from players. In order to get back to being a real National League force, the St. Louis leadership must make tough, innovative decisions this winter. Moving on from Goldschmidt must be the first move for the Cardinals.
Perhaps the first option to replace Goldschmidt is Alec Burleson. The former top prospect and second-round pick is having a breakout offensive season. Burleson has hit .278/.313/.463 (114 OPS+) with 19 homers and 15 doubles.
His production also comes with Strikeout and Squared-Up percentages that each rank amongst the best in the league. He has not walked much, but he doesn’t whiff and has decent access to his power. At just 25, Burleson is clearly developing and trending upwards.
Burleson has predominantly played outfield and DH this season. However, he has seen limited time at first base this year (76 innings) and throughout his big league career (209 1/3 innings). Though the sample is the smallest, defensive metrics view his defense at first much more favorably than in the outfield.
Moving Burleson to first base in 2025 could strengthen the lineup while improving run prevention via outfield defense. Plus, the Cardinals could take advantage of the financial benefits of playing Burleson and his less than $1 million salary