Cardinals Star Is 'Likely' Trade Candidate If St. Louis Sells At Deadline

St. Louis will have some tough decisions to make over the next few months

May 29, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) runs off the field in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have started to look like the team many expected them to be recently.

St. Louis entered the 2024 campaign with expectations to turn things around. The 2023 season wasn't kind to St. Louis and it had one of the worst seasons in recent memory.

The Cardinals were one of the most active teams in baseball this past offseason and significantly boosted the starting rotation and bullpen. St. Louis entered the season looking much better on paper, but injuries and inconsistent offensive play hurt the club.

Things now are on the up-and-up and the Cardinals are looking like a team that could end up being buyers at the deadline. If the Cardinals start struggling again over the few months and they end up deciding to sell, star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is a "likely" trade candidate if they could get him to waive his no-trade clause, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"If the Cardinals remain in the race, chances are they won't unload players for a second consecutive season," Passan said. "They're already bleeding more than 6,000 fans per game off their attendance peak. But if revenues are down in St. Louis, that apparently means payroll goes with them, and the Cardinals would do awfully well if they made relievers Ryan Helsey (controlled through the end of 2025) or Jojo Romero (2026) available.

"Goldschmidt is headed to free agency and would be a likely candidate to go, too, were it not for his no-trade clause. If St. Louis starts moving players, it could wheedle him into waiving it."

Although the Cardinals have been impressive lately, they still are below .500 so things could go either way for the club. St. Louis will have a tough decision to make and Goldschmidt already has been mentioned in trade rumors on numerous occasions.

Don't be surprised if speculation continues to pick up over the next few weeks.

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