MLB Rumors: Steve Cohen is frustrated, trade fits for Marcus Stroman and Paul Goldschmidt

MLB Rumors: If the Cardinals trade Paul Goldschmidt, where will he go?

The St. Louis Cardinals lost another series over the weekend to Elly De La Cruz and the streaking Cincinnati Reds. With that in mind, what would it take for the Cards to sell at the trade deadline?

At the beginning of the season, the NL Central was viewed as the Cardinals division to lose. So far this year, they’ve done everything they can to lose it. Entering Monday’s slate of games, St. Louis is last in the Central, a solid eight games behind the 34-30 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Just last week, ESPN’s Jeff Passan floated Paul Goldschmidt as a potential trade candidate at the deadline, especially if St. Louis continues to head in the wrong direction. Goldy has just one year remaining on his current contract, and at 35 years old, the Cardinals could get a haul back in return.

While any trade for Goldschmidt would be surprising — and it’s far more likely that the Cards keep their core in tact and punt on 2023 — the Houston Astros could be a potential suitor, if both sides are interested.

Jose Abreu has not been what Houston needed at first base. Defensively, he’s lackluster, and Abreu doesn’t warrant serious playing time as a designated hitter. His decline has been well-documented, as he’s slashing just .220/.275/.289 with very limited power.

Adding Goldschmidt to a lineup featuring the likes of Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve makes Houston even more dangerous come the AL postseason, where they will look to repeat as World Series champions.

In return, Houston can trade some of their available young pitching to the Cardinals, which allows St. Louis to hit the reset button heading into 2024.