Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Superstar Predicted To Leave St. Louis In Free Agency

St. Louis needs to make a decision about a superstar

Patrick McAvoy

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
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
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The St. Louis Cardinals could look a lot different in 2025.

The last two seasons haven't been kind to the Cardinals. St. Louis was a perennial contender before the last two campaigns. St. Louis finished in last place in the National League Central in 2023 and now is in a better spot in 2024, but still is a .500 team.

Because of all of this, changes could be on the horizon. The biggest question mark heading into the offseason is the future of star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. He has looked like his old self lately, but the first few months of the season were a true disaster for him.

Now, it's unclear if the two sides will come together on a new deal.

FanSided's Mark Powell predicted that Goldschmidt won't be back in town in 2025 unless it's on a discount.

"Paul Goldschmidt's future has been discussed ad nauseam this season," Powell said. "Goldschmidt was traded to St. Louis after the 2018 season, and made the (National League) All-Star team in 2022. This season he's seen a downturn at the worst possible time -- a contract year -- and slashed just .245/.302/.411 for a .714 OPS. Goldschmidt remains an above-average first baseman, but those don't make nearly as much money as he does right now. A change of scenery could do Goldy some good, especially if it's a return to Arizona, where the Diamondbacks are at risk of losing their own star first baseman Christian Walker...

"There were rumblings that Goldschmidt was open to returning on a discount, something St. Louis would certainly be open to. There's a reason he is only third on this list, and it's because the Cardinals value his clubhouse presence."

It's unclear if he will return, but he has shown lately that he still has plenty in the tank. Hopefully, the two sides work something out.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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