Cardinals Star Ranked As One Of Top Offseason Trade Chips With Chance Of Move Unclear
Could the St. Louis Cardinals actually end up dealing away one of their stars this offseason?
This question has been posed in many different ways pretty much since the start of the 2023 season. With the Cardinals struggling this past season many have wondered what the future will hold. St. Louis was in an unfamiliar place ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and even became sellers.
St. Louis dealt away Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks, and Paul DeJong, and yet more could have been done. Rumors swirled that the club could deal away star duo Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado but the club ultimately decided against it. The club has shown no indication since that it will trade the duo and at this point, it is very unlikely, but that doesn't mean they don't have value if they decide to make a stunning move. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter even ranked Goldschmidt as the third-ranked offseason trade chip if St. Louis decided to move on from him.
"The St. Louis Cardinals could opt to make one final push with Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado at the center of their offensive attack, or they could move their All-Star first baseman now to open up a spot for young slugger Jordan Walker on the infield," Reuter said. "At 36 years old, Goldschmidt is unlikely to reel in another long-term deal, so whoever acquires him would likely be doing it as a one-year rental rather than as a trade-and-extend target like the Atlanta Braves did with Matt Olson."
Questions about Goldschmidt's future ultimately will remain until he signs a new contract but at this point, it looks like that will be with St. Louis. The two sides will discuss an extension this offseason. Plus, Goldschmidt already has made it known that he wants to remain with the club. The 2022 National League Most Valuable Player has a no-trade clause in his contract as well. While there are sure to be more rumors about Goldschmidt's future, Cardinals fans should be confident that he will be back in St. Louis in 2024.
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