Cardinals $130 Million Star Leaves Door Open For Return To St. Louis

What will the Cardinals do this winter with the star slugger?

Sep 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder Paul Goldschmidt (46) plays his position against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

There are a lot of questions swirling around about the St. Louis Cardinals right now.

St. Louis missed the playoffs for the second straight year and now is at a crossroads. Chaim Bloom has been announced as the team's next president of baseball operations but he won't take over the job until the 2025 season ends.

The Cardinals want to cut payroll, and it has been reported that the club could part ways with a handful of stars this offseason. While this is the case, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt didn't completely close the door on a return, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

“Here in St. Louis, part of the excitement was we were going to have a chance to win,” Goldschmidt said, as transcribed by Goold. “It’s been amazing. The downside is the goal was to bring a championship back here, and we weren’t able to do that.

"Part of wanting to be here was having the chance to win, and we have. We had a chance every single year. We didn’t come through all the way. Going into spring training, we’ve really had a chance. And I’m thankful for that. That is not always the case. We’ll see what happens.”

Goldschmidt spent the last six seasons with the Cardinals, and it has been heavily implied that he won't be returning. That certainly is the most likely outcome at this point, but maybe the two sides could surprise us. That isn't likely, though.

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