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

Jordan Walker

As Ron Washington once said, playing first base is incredibly hard.

Allow me to preface this section by saying that moving Jordan Walker to first base would be a bad idea in my opinion. He's been working tirelessly for two-plus years now learning corner outfield, and forcing him to transition to another new position would only hamper his offensive development even more than it's already been stunted.

Jordan Walker should be the Cardinals' starting corner outfielder in 2025, and nothing should change that. He needs regular reps on both sides of the ball, and corner outfield is probably his best position at this point.

Walker's bat will carry his career, and playing him at first would probably allow him to capitalize on that offensive output. The 22-year-old has a career 101 OPS+ to go along with 21 home runs in 584 at-bats. Inconsistent usage and an inability to loft the ball have been Walker's downfall to start his career.

All but eight of Walkers's 168 appearances have come in either right field or left field for his career. He has yet to log a single inning at first base in the majors. The former third baseman has also never logged an inning at first base in the minors. Transitioning him to first in one offseason will hamper his confidence, and he will have to essentially restart his development once more. Keeping Jordan Walker in the corner outfield is ideal for 2025 and beyond, and he shouldn't seriously be considered for this spot next year.