Cardinals 'Plan To Talk' To Red-Hot Superstar About New Deal This Winter

Will the Cardinals get a major signing done?

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Will the St. Louis Cardinals find a way to keep the star slugger around for the foreseeable future?

St. Louis will have a tough decision to make. Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will be a free agent at the end of the season and at this point, it's really a toss-up whether or not he will be back.

Goldschmidt has had a roller coaster of a season so far but he's ending it on a high note. He has been red-hot since August began and now his overall numbers are starting to look solid. Overall, Goldschmidt is slashing .247/.304/.417 with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs in 133 games played. Those numbers certainly aren't to his typical level, but he has started to look like himself recently.

It's uncertain if the two sides will come to terms on a new deal, but the Cardinals at least "plan to talk" to him about a new deal at the end of the season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

"Two years removed from being the National League (Most Valuable Player), Goldschmidt turns 37 next week and is closer now than he’s ever been to free agency as his five-year, $130 million contract with the Cardinals concludes," Goold said. "He has said he intends to play in 2025. During spring training, he and the Cardinals tabled discussions on a contract extension until after the season.

"While the Cardinals plan to talk to Goldschmidt and see if there’s mutual interest in a return, the finish to this uneasy season will shape the club’s direction, and he’ll likely have to reach free agency and the open market in November for the sides to explore financial terms. Coming off the least productive season of his career will be a factor in any offer — as will a strong finish."

This doesn't mean a deal will get done, but there at least will be discussions.

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