Moving On From Franchise Cornerstones Is The Right Call For Cardinals

It's time for the Cardinals to make changes.

Sep 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first base Paul Goldschmidt (46) in the dug out before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals ended the 2024 season with an 83-79 record, a 12-win improvement over 2023's 71-91 finish. However, it wasn't good enough to get them to the postseason, nor prevent their upcoming rebuild.

The Cardinals are going to be making some major changes with their roster this offseason. They won't be looking to make any major improvements.

Instead, they'll be trading some players. Nolan Arenado could be one of them, and according to Katie Woo, they already have decided to not bring back Paul Goldschmidt.

Ultimately, this is the right call for a team that desperately needs change.

For starters, Goldschmidt hit just .245 and posted a disappointing .716 OPS. He's a free agent as soon as the World Series comes to an end.

St. Louis has plenty of internal options that can take over at the first base position in the event that he leaves. The most likely option is Alec Burleson, but Jordan Walker, Brendan Donovan and Luken Baker are also capable of playing the position.

Arenado's power numbers were down significantly in 2024, and he's a high-priced veteran. He likely won't want to sit through a rebuild. The Cardinals could then end the outfield experiment with Walker and move him back to his natural position at third base.

The time has come for St. Louis to get younger and prioritize the core of position players that are right on the cusp of the big leagues or even already there. We'll see where this rebuild takes them.

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