John Mozeliak is asking to get himself fired with shocking Paul Goldschmidt update

The St. Louis Cardinals were able to hang on and get a crucial win on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, but their subpar play for much of the second half has them in a difficult position in the postseason standings.

As of this writing, the Cardinals are 6.0 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and are 3.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot. FanGraphs gives them slim 18.0 percent odds to make it to the postseason. It's not impossible if they can put together a winning streak, but the odds are not in their favor.

Plenty are to blame for the Cardinals being where they are right now, but perhaps nobody deserves more finger-pointing than Paul Goldschmidt who has looked like a shell of himself for much of this season. At 36 years old, it's pretty easy to make the assumption that he won't find his MVP form again.

Despite Goldschmidt's atrocious season, the Cardinals are interested in bringing the upcoming free agent back in 2025 or at least seeing what a return would look like according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. John Mozeliak even exploring that right now is essentially him asking for the Cardinals to fire him.

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There is no reason for the Cardinals to explore Paul Goldschmidt reunion

"And when the season is over, they're going to talk with Paul Goldschmidt about what a return looks like," Goold wrote ($). "There are some rules for when he can sign and how much he must sign for if he signs before becoming a free agent, so keep that in mind."

As great of a player as Goldschmidt once was, this makes no sense for the Cardinals to consider. It's not 2022 anymore. Goldschmidt is a shell of his former MVP self.

The 36-year-old is slashing .228/.288/.384 with 17 home runs and 43 RBI in 110 games this season. He has struck out 100 more times than he has walked, and his 87 OPS+ makes him 13 percent below league-average as a hitter.

Things have only gotten worse for Goldschmidt lately who is hitless in his last 17 at-bats, striking out seven times in those trips to the plate. Knowing this, and the fact that he is in his late 30s, what is the argument for bringing him back?

Goldschmidt's one redeeming quality as a hitter, now, is his ability to hit lefties. His .775 OPS against southpaws certainly plays, even if it isn't what it once was. The problem is that Goldschmidt has a putrid .635 OPS against righties. He has struck out 110 times in 348 plate appearances against righties. In other words, 31.6 percent of the time he faces a righty, he strikes out. Essentially one out of every three at-bats.

Is Goldschmidt re-signing to be a platoon player? Perhaps, but it's hard to envision that. Plus, now that Goldschmidt's $26 million AAV is slated to come off of the books at the end of this season, can't the Cardinals pursue a meaningful upgrade at the first base position with guys like Christian Walker or Pete Alonso? The Cardinals can even go internal at first base with Alec Burleson if they choose.

Goldschmidt makes little to no sense when there are so many better options, barring the acceptance of a platoon role on a minuscule salary. Platoon players are relatively easy to find, anyway, so there's no reason to think about bringing him back now.

Goldschmidt has been a great Cardinal, but it's time for Mozeliak to let go. He isn't Yadier Molina or Adam Wainwright who spent their entire careers with St. Louis.

Goldschmidt playing regularly will not help the Cardinals win games in 2025, which has to be his top priority. There's a chance Mozeliak will already be on the hot seat after two disappointing seasons in a row (assuming the Cardinals miss the postseason). If a Goldschmidt reunion is tacked on top of that, the organization has more of a reason to let him go.