Latest Willson Contreras update seals Paul Goldschmidt’s Cardinals future

It's quite simple: in a contract year, Paul Goldschmidt performed well below the line we expected from a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger. Age has probably caught up to him. The St. Louis Cardinals' front office, which includes John Mozeliak and his soon-to-be successor Chaim Bloom, seems to have confirmed its intentions regarding the 2022 National League MVP by way of a positional switch announcement.

It was reported by The Athletic's Katie Woo back in late September that the club is "expected" to move on from Goldschmidt. Now, that is essentially confirmed.

Former Chicago Cub and 32-year-old catcher Willson Contreras will be moving 90 feet to the right of the diamond to first base, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers. Mozeliak also explained that Contreras will rotate between first base and designated hitter, a role he was in 33 times last season.

Given the demands of the catching position, it's a move that makes some sort of sense as St. Louis hopes to keep its most productive bat (in terms of OPS) from 2024 on the field. Contreras has only been a first baseman on 11 separate instances during his major league career -- all occurred during his first four seasons with the Cubs.

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Willson Contreras may be able to elevate his biggest strength with the position change

Sure, there will be an adjustment period but in time, we could see a much more effective offensive player with his defensive role now being much less demanding on the body. Also, defensively Contreras is far from that elite level. Putting his focus more on his strength may lift up his ceiling.

Contreras, who will be heading into his third year of a five-year, $87.5 million contract, slashed .262/.380/.468 in 84 games -- his third-fewest in a single season so far in his career. He fractured the middle finger on his right hand on Aug. 24, putting an end to his 2024 campaign.

The search for a more consistent replacement for club legend Yadier Molina continues. The Cardinals will now turn to Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés for the catching duties. For reference, Pagés received the starting nod 10 more times last year behind the plate compared to Herrera. Herrera was the more effective player though, owning a much better WAR and a .800 OPS in 72 contests.

As far as Goldschmidt goes, we're in the wait-and-see period as he is likely to receive a one-year "prove-it-type" deal. You can't question his leadership and clubhouse presence, that's for sure. He is the kind of guy who provides stability defensively and can act as a role model for younger guys coming up in a system.