MLB Rumors: Braves trade target shines, Marcus Stroman reunion, a Goldschmidt deal
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: The case for Cardinals trading Paul Goldschmidt
The St. Louis Cardinals are increasingly looked at as sellers at this year’s MLB trade deadline. While over a month away, the Cards are nearly ten games under .500, and the third-worst team in the National League by record. They are fifth in the NL Central, a solid eight games behind the first-place Brewers and seven games behind the Pirates, who hold the final Wild Card spot.
It will be a long, tough battle back to contention, and a stretch against the Reds and San Francisco Giants in the coming weeks could very well make John Mozeliak’s decision for him. Assuming the Cards cannot surge back into Wild Card consideration by the end of June, a trade for Goldy could very well be on the table, and there’s a couple of very good reasons why.
First, Goldschmidt is the defending NL MVP, and he’s signed through the end of 2024. Even at age 35, Goldschmidt provides the sort of pop in the middle of the lineup for any contending team. Second, the return for Goldschmidt would be immense, with St. Louis able to choose from top prospects and MLB-ready talent around baseball. It’s very rare that a front office can get that sort of opportunity.
Redbirds Way’s Curt Bishop outlined why the Cards should consider trading Goldy on Sunday:
"“Assuming the Cardinals are out of contention by the deadline, a little more youth on the roster could ignite some hope for 2024 as the team assesses its young talent and prepares for the future…This would also clear the way for some players such as Jordan Walker, Juan Yepez, Masyn Winn, and Luken Baker, or could even bring in a young power bat to build around in the years to come. This may not be the year for the Cardinals, and in that case, if a team is willing to give them some Major League-ready talent, they may want to pull the trigger on the deal, especially with Goldschmidt’s contract set to expire next year, which will be his age-36 season.”"
With a strong farm system nearing MLB status, losing Goldschmidt a year early and gaining something for it in return isn’t the worst idea. It’s a tough idea for the fanbase to get behind though, and rightly so.