Cardinals may have Paul Goldschmidt’s replacement lined up already

The St. Louis Cardinals may have to face the music on a beloved star given their struggles to compete in 2023.

After showing some brief signs of life, including an 11-3 run in mid-to-late May, the St. Louis Cardinals are right back to the losing ways they started the season with, having gone 2-8 in their last 10 and sitting last in the NL Central. They are 8.5 games out of first place with the midway point of June yet to come.

That puts them in a precarious position with paths forward that don’t necessarily have cut-and-dry right answers. The problem is that the answers to those questions will not reveal themselves until years down the road.

One thought that’s making headway into the conversation is what to do with Paul Goldschmidt. Will Leitch penned a column for MLB.com that looked into the idea of trading him. Leitch advocates for sending him out — despite a no-trade clause that Goldschmidt would presumably waive to go to a contender —  a concept that he readily admits will be a tough pill to swallow for Cardinals fans.

But there’s one thing that could make the idea of it a lot easier: Who they have waiting in the background, with just one small tweak.

Jordan Walker could be Paul Goldschmidt’s replacement at first base

Moving on from a player like Goldschmidt — a reigning MVP — is like jumping out of a plane: There is absolutely no way to undo a move so drastic. But Jordan Walker could be the ripcord for St. Louis to turn the decision from a plummet down to earth into a peaceful parachute into the competitive landscape.

Leitch gives several compelling reasons why Goldschmidt might be right to be traded. The most obvious is that the Cardinals could (and would need to, to make a deal tenable) get youthful arms out of the deal and cash in on one of the potentially most valuable trade pieces in the MLB at this moment.

The one that stands out the most is the one right in front of Cardinals fans already, though. Walker has played 31 games this year to a slash of .288/.347/.441, with most of his games in the outfield.

Here’s Leitch’s assessment:

"“Nolan Arenado isn’t going anywhere, so third base, Walker’s natural position, is out. And Walker’s struggles in the outfield have been well documented — again, totally reasonable for someone just starting out there. But at a certain level, first base sure looks like a place like Walker—a huge guy, a big target, but with natural nimbleness — could park for many years to come. You could get Walker daily reps out there right now and help clear up the crowded and chaotic outfield situation. The more and more you think about it, the more sense Walker at first base makes, doesn’t it?”"

Walker has not played first base in the majors or minors. He’s -5 in outs above average in the outfield this year, so the Cardinals would be wise to pursue other options if they believe his development there will be too slow to support.

First base, while not an easy position, doesn’t require nearly as much spatial awareness as an outfield role does and could be a change of pace with third base off the board for Walker. The Cardinals may not want to mess with his positioning too much considering he’s still rated the best prospect in the MLB. 

The point, in the end, is this: Walker’s emergence from the time he was called up to now has not been fraught with complications like other young call-ups across the league. He’s had his struggles, but no big slumps, especially offensively. If the Cardinals need to move on from Goldschmidt, he’s an at-least serviceable option that could give them the confidence to cash in and retool.

None of this is even a discussion if the Cardinals were winning games, though.