Cardinals could come to regret losing Paul Goldschmidt, just not because of his bat

The St. Louis Cardinals will look — and feel — very different next season.

John Mozeliak, Chaim Bloom, and the front office have made their goals plain. The Cardinals are going to strip the roster of its past-prime talent and finally rebuild the farm system in earnest. Rather than spending aggressively in free agency, St. Louis is comfortable taking a step back competitively to embrace the long view.

It has been decades since St. Louis was non-competitive for an extended period of time, but the MLB landscape is changing. The Cardinals have spent the last couple years chasing Milwaukee in vain. The aging core Mozeliak put together never quite gelled. The 2024 campaign was especially difficult, as St. Louis' key veterans reached new career lows almost across the board

That leads us to the present day, with Paul Goldschmidt now a member of the New York Yankees. The former MVP was never coming back to St. Louis — the Cards are opening up ABs for the forthcoming youth movement — but Goldy's presence will be missed all the same. Not only in the fanbase, but in the locker room and around the organization.

Breakups are often difficult, and it's impossible to overstate the impact Goldschmidt had on the Cardinals, both on and off the field.

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Cardinals will miss Paul Goldschmidt for more reasons than his bat

Goldscmidt reached impressive heights during his six-year tenure in St. Louis, including his NL MVP campaign in 2022. He finishes his Cardinals career with .278/.360/.483 splits, knocking 153 home runs in 836 games. This past season was his worst by far — Goldschmidt's age has clearly caught up to him — but the 37-year-old still managed a respectable slugging output while also defending first base better than most.

The Cards are not better off without Goldschmidt in the lineup. That much is clear. More than missing his production, however, St. Louis will also suffer without Goldschmidt's leadership in the clubhouse.

This excerpt from MLB.com's John Denton says it all:

"Tommy Edman, the former Cards Gold Glover who went on to win a World Series with the Dodgers this past October, said he might not have stuck in the big leagues had Goldschmidt not taught him the importance of a daily routine and how to properly prepare for games early in his career."

Per Denton's report, Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman sought lockers close to Goldschmidt's No. 46 in order to "see his seriousness and daily dedication." Goldschmidt would answer questions in the locker room after blowout losses, take accountability for subpar performances, and lead by example. He was the consummate pro and a centerpiece of the Cardinals' locker room culture.

Did Goldschmidt accomplish what he wanted to in St. Louis? Maybe not. The Cards never went far in the playoffs during his tenure. That said, he became a beloved figure in St. Louis sports, and his memory will live long in that fandom. The fact that Goldschmidt's leadership can now be imparted on Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm, and the reigning AL champs in New York does not sound ideal for the rest of the American League.