Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Set To Battle Former Fan Favorite In First Matchup Since Yankees Signing

St. Louis will see a familiar face Wednesday afternoon
Nate Hagerty|
Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees first base Paul Goldschmidt (48) catches a ball during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees first base Paul Goldschmidt (48) catches a ball during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Yankees

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't altered their big-league roster much this offseason other than moving on from several former fan favorites.

For instance, right-handed pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson's 2025 club options were declined as the Cardinals pursued ways to reduce payroll.

Another beloved St. Louis player no longer with the 11-time World Series champions is set to face off against the Cardinals in his first meeting with the club since joining the New York Yankees this winter.

"The (Yankees) lineup for today’s (Wednesday) game against the (Cardinals) features a familiar name — Paul Goldschmidt — in the cleanup spot," MLB.com's John Denton wrote Wednesday morning. "The Cards and Yanks face off at 1:05 PM ET/12:05 PM CT at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. TV: MLB TV (Yes Network)."

Goldschmidt signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Yankees in Dec. after showcasing one of the worst offensive campaigns of his career with the Cardinals in 2024.

The seven-time All-Star batted .245 with 56 extra-base hits including 22 home runs, 65 RBIs and a .716 OPS in 154 games played for the Cardinals last season.

Unfortunately, Goldschmidt's hopes of bringing a 12th World Series title back to St. Louis never came to fruition. Throughout his tenure with the Cardinals, the franchise recorded only one playoff series win (the 2019 National League Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves, three games to two).

The 37-year-old aspires to add "World Series champion" to his potential Hall of Fame resume. Despite losing $765 million superstar Juan Soto this offseason to the New York Mets, the Yankees are capable of another deep playoff run.

Considering Goldschmidt's offensive production has steadily declined since being dubbed the 2022 NL MVP, it'll be interesting to see if he has a resurgent season in 2025 with the change of scenery.

More MLB: Cardinals 24-Year-Old Dazzles In Debut With Roster Spot On Line

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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