Cardinals Suggested To Make Surprise Decision Involving Superstar

Will the Cardinals bring back the superstar slugger?

Sep 11, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) is doused with water by center fielder Michael Siani (63) and teammates after hitting the go ahead one run double in the eighth inning in a victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Will the St. Louis Cardinals find a way to retain star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt?

That is going to be the biggest question swirling around the team over the next few months. St. Louis is not going to be in the playoffs once again in 2024 after struggling in 2023 as well. The Cardinals are 75-75 right now and are in danger of finishing below .500 for the second straight season.

Once the season ends, St. Louis' toughest decision will be whether or not to hand Goldschmidt a new contract. He mightily struggled for much of the beginning of the season. Goldschmidt and the Cardinals discussed an extension ahead of the 2024 campaign but decided to play out the season to see if they would continue the partnership.

Goldschmidt struggled early but has looked more like himself over the last few months. He's now 37 years old, and it's unclear what's next. There was a point early on where it seemed like Goldschmidt was going to be on his way out of town. Now, it could make more sense to bring him back on a short-term deal.

Because of this, MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams suggested that the Cardinals could offer him the qualifying offer this winter.

"An average-hitting first baseman isn’t generally a QO candidate, but if the Cardinals believe Goldschmidt can sustain his late surge, then there’s good reason to make an offer," Adams said. "Even if he accepts, a $21.2MM salary for a player whom they believe can continue in the vicinity of a .275/.315/.483 pace would be defensible. And if he walks, the Cards would, of course, be entitled to draft compensation. On the flip side, if Goldschmidt were to accept and revert to his first-half form, it’d be a clear misstep that sets the franchise back in 2025 as they look to return to contending.

"It all comes down to how much the Cardinals believe in Goldschmidt’s second-half renaissance and how much they’re willing to risk in the name of bolstering their 2025 draft pool. Six months ago, Goldschmidt would’ve seemed like a no-brainer QO recipient. Three months ago, the decision would’ve seemed like a no-brainer — for the opposite reason. Now, the Cardinals will fall somewhere in the middle."

Should the Cardinals give him the deal?

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