Cardinals Fan Favorite’s Future With St. Louis In Jeopardy Despite Recent Success

St. Louis needs to continue to win to keep the slugger

May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals were on track to be sellers at the trade deadline after beginning the season with a 15-24 start but after going on a tear in May, their summer plans don't seem so solidified.

The Cardinals are doing everything possible to avoid unloading significant talent as they did at last year's deadline. Key players such as Ryan Helsley and even Sonny Gray have been listed as potential candidates to be traded.

If St. Louis can't continue to turn things around and put themselves in a position to be buyers instead of sellers come July 30, fans might have to say goodbye to a household name.

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt was ranked as the No. 8 candidate to be traded this summer among teams who could be potential sellers at the deadline based on their chances of making the postseason, according to Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller.

"If the trade deadline was today, there's no chance they'd be trading him away. But with Baseball Reference inexplicably only giving St. Louis a 4.3 percent chance of making the postseason, got to at least put him on the list," Miller continued.

Goldschmidt has posted a .222 batting average with 16 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 22 RBIs and a .659 OPS in 57 games this season.

After a difficult start to the season at the plate, it looked like St. Louis wouldn't get much in return if they sold Goldschmidt at the trade deadline but he has since turned it up a notch.

The five-time Silver Slugger has recorded a .246/.313/.492 slash line with 15 hits, three home runs and six RBIs over his last 15 games played. His recent slugging has contributed significantly to the Cardinals' efforts to climb out of last place in the National League Central.

The four-time Gold Glove winner recently expressed his confidence in St. Louis' ability to win the division this season, so it looks like he has no plans of leaving anytime soon. However, with Goldy becoming a free agent this winter combined with the fact that he turns 37 years old this September, there's a good chance he's on the block to be traded.

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