10 players who could replace Paul Goldschmidt at first for the Cardinals

Luken Baker

If anyone has served his time on this list, it's Luken Baker. He has logged 576 games in the minors for his career across parts of six total seasons. Baker, 27 now, was deserving of a promotion years ago, but the future Hall of Famer in Paul Goldschmidt was preventing that dream from becoming a reality.

In 2023 with the Memphis Redbirds, Baker slashed .334/.440/.720 with 33 home runs in 380 plate appearances. He slashed .231/.345/.535 with 32 home runs in 2024 with Memphis. He had proven his value up to that point, and the Cardinals opted to give him some time at the majors to finish out last season.

While output at the major league level wasn't quite what it was in the minors, he still showed some signs of capable production. He finished with just a .175/.286/.400 slash line with the Cardinals across 49 plate appearances, but Baker hit exceptionally well against left-handed pitchers. In just 18 at-bats against southpaws, he slashed .278/.364/.722 for a 1.086 OPS. That's an absurd stat line for a rookie hitter in the majors.

He hasn't logged enough innings to truly evaluate his defense at first, but it's safe to assume he'll be at least average given his frame when it comes to receiving throws. His lateral movement may be limited, however.

Pairing Luken Baker with Alec Burleson as a platoon at first base may be most wise next year. The two can start the game against their preferred pitcher and then be swapped out later when relievers begin making appearances. They can also be valuable bench bats for late-game situations.

Given ownership's desire to cut back on payroll, this combination feels like the most probable route the Cardinals choose. Both Luken Baker and Alec Burleson are in pre-arbitration, and they have plenty of team control remaining along with strong offensive production when employed wisely.