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

According to Katie Woo at The Athletic, the St. Louis Cardinals do not intend on bringing Paul Goldschmidt back for the 2025 season. After spending the last six years with the Cardinals, the relationship between the two parties is likely coming to a close.

While with the Cardinals, Goldy accumulated 23.2 bWAR. He also won an MVP trophy, a Silver Slugger award, and a Gold Glove. Goldschmidt brought a lot of joy to the city of St. Louis, and he will certainly be missed. It's probable that he will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame down the road.

For years, Goldschmidt was a vacuum at first base. His glove will surely be missed, and his output from the offensive side of the game will have to be made up one way or another. He finished his time with the Cardinals with a .278/.360/.484 slash line and an OPS+ of 130. His Gold Glove is evidence of his plus defense.

It's possible Paul Goldschmidt returns at first base next year. He's eligible for a qualifying offer which is set at $21.05 million for 2025. That's a small decrease from Goldschmidt's 2024 salary of $22 million. The fear with offering this option to Goldschmidt is that he accepts it. The benefit of it is that if he declines, which he may if he is seeking a multi-year deal, the Cardinals will receive a compensatory pick in exchange.

There are plenty of candidates internally and externally who could feasibly replace Paul Goldschmidt at first base. Given the financial restrictions imposed by ownership and the organization's preference to protect its prospects, the team's internal candidates are probably the ones with the best shot at nabbing the first base job in 2025 and beyond.

John Mozeliak may have some financial freedom to sign a free-agent first baseman. There are a couple of viable replacements there. He could also seek to make a trade for a first baseman, particularly someone who is younger. Whatever route the Cardinals choose to fill the void at first base in 2025, there will be big shoes to fill.

These 10 first basemen could replace Paul Goldschmidt for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025.

Christian Walker

Let's start with the least likely option here. In fact, any one of the free agents on this list probably won't happen given the team's insistence that they'll be cutting payroll. Therefore, don't expect St. Louis to sign big-name free agents to supplant Paul Goldschmidt. If anything, back-end relievers and a bench piece or two may be available via free agency.

All that being said, Christian Walker would be a huge get for the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite debuting in 2014, Walker didn't get full control of first base for the Arizona Diamondbacks until Goldschmidt was traded to the Cardinals in 2019. After that, the reigns were his, and he didn't look back.

Since becoming a regular player, Walker, 33, has slashed .253/.333/.464 for an OPS+ of 115. He's hit 141 home runs in six seasons (COVID season included). The right-handed first baseman is a true middle-of-the-order bat, and he would be able to pick up right where Goldy left off.

Christian Walker also boasts one of the best gloves at first base in all of baseball. He's racked up 57 outs above average (OAA) since 2019, and he's in line to receive his second career Gold Glove here in 2024. If the Cardinals sign Christian Walker, the lineup and defense won't miss a beat following Goldschmidt's departure.

It won't be cheap to sign Walker; he received $10.9 million this past year via arbitration. Spotrac places his market value at a three-year deal worth around $66 million for an average annual value (AAV) of $22 million. That's the same price the Cardinals paid Goldschmidt this past year for double the bWAR -- Walker finished with 2.6 bWAR and Goldy had 1.3. That's more money than the DeWitts are likely willing to spend, but his right-handed swing would look awfully nice in Cardinal Red.

There's also something to be said of first baseman who once played for the Arizona Diamondbacks joining the Cardinals later in their career.

Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso is another expensive free agent on my list. He presents a different profile than Christian Walker in more ways than one, and he'll likely cost far more in both years and dollars than Walker will this offseason.

Polar Bear Pete has not endeared himself to Cardinals fans these past few years following his involvement in a benches-clearing brawl in 2022 and him tossing Masyn Winn's first career hit into the stands. Those aren't actions that will make fans cozy up to you by any means.

However, it is undeniable that Alonso has been one of baseball's best hitters for the last half-decade. Since debuting in 2019, he trails only Aaron Judge in home runs in baseball with 226 total. He's a career .249/.339/.514 hitter for an OPS+ of 134. It's not often a guy of Pete Alonso's stature becomes available to the entire league.

The former Rookie of the Year has been a negative defender at first throughout his career according to outs above average with a net score of -25 OAA. He struggles moving to his right in the field primarily.

Alonso is represented by Scott Boras at the moment, so he'll fetch a hefty contract. Spotrac estimates his market value at $29 million annually. They project a six-year, $175 million contract for Pete Alonso. There does not exist a reality where the Cardinals sign Pete Alonso, but one can still dream, right?

Ryan O'Hearn

As far as free agent options go, Ryan O'Hearn may be the most intriguing player on this list who could feasibly be signed by the Cardinals. O'Hearn is 31 currently, and he's coming off one of the best years of his career in 2024.

O'Hearn is a career .244/.309/.417 hitter for an OPS+ of exactly 100; he's been a league-average hitter through seven seasons. He debuted with the Kansas City Royals in 2018, but he was later traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2023 for cash considerations. What could complicate O'Hearn's free agency is the club option worth $8 million that is attached to his 2025 contract. Considering the free agent first base market, O'Hearn is the third-best option; that figure is likely below his market value. meaning the Orioles will likely accept the option and trade their other first base option.

After a slow start to his career, O'Hearn has had back-to-back strong seasons in 2023 and 2024 with the Orioles. He finished 2023 with a .801 OPS and a 122 OPS+. His 2024 featured a dip in his OPS to .761, but considering the drop in offensive numbers across all of baseball, he still had a 122 OPS+. He has a very balanced approach at the plate, but he's hit 29 home runs these last two seasons; the left-handed hitter was able to improve both his walk and strikeout rates in 2024. O'Hearn is very split-prone, as he struggles against left-handed pitching.

Defensively, O'Hearn has proven himself a viable candidate at first base and both corner outfield spots. According to outs above average, O'Hearn has been a positive defender at first base for his career and a near-neutral defender in the outfield.

Spotrac estimates his market value at a two-year deal worth around $28 million. If Baltimore declines his team option, he could be a discounted free-agent pickup for the Cardinals. However, it isn't likely the Cardinals spend money at this spot this offseason.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

These next few players would all be trade candidates for the Cardinals to find at first base. I've opted to start with the least likely candidate to be traded to the Cardinals. There are a few reasons why Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is probably not going to be a Cardinal next year.

First, the Toronto Blue Jays are rumored to be interested in working out a long-term extension with their All-Star. Second, Guerrero would cost a lot of prospect capital, something the Cardinals are intent on holding onto. Finally, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could hit $30 million in arbitration next year. If it's possible St. Louis trades Ryan Helsley with his paltry $6.9 million projected salary, don't even think they'll take on $30 million in arbitration.

Wouldn't it be so nice to have one of the best offensive first baseman in the game once again, though? Guerrero has a career .288/.363/.500 slash line to go laong with 160 home runs since his debut in 2019. He's been a consistent offensive force from the right side.

Guerrero is a supremely bad defender at first base. He's been worth -31 outs above average since becoming a full-time first baseman in 2020. He's also seen some time at third base, but Guerrero isn't a viable candidate to play the hot corner anymore.

It's quite unlikely the Cardinals trade for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Blue Jays have expressed interest in extending their first baseman beyond arbitration, and the prospect capital it would take to land him would be beyond John Mozeliak's puke point. He would be a game-changing force for the Cardinals, but it may not be worth the cost.

Yandy Diaz

I've actually been on the Yandy Diaz train since September. He's been an above-average offensive first baseman with a penchant for getting on base. He's also quite affordable with a meager $8 million total to his name for 2025.

The 33-year-old first baseman bats from the right side, and he's at his best when he hits for average. While the home runs won't blow anyone away -- he has just 75 total in over 3,000 plate appearances -- having someone you can trust to get on base as often as Diaz does bodes well for a lineup.

Diaz is a career .288/.373/.433 hitter for an OPS+ of 126. He won the American League batting title and a Silver Slugger award in 2023 thanks to a .330 batting average and 22 home runs. Offense in general was down this year, but Diaz was still able to finish with a .281/.341./.414 line and a 116 OPS+. He hit 14 home runs in 145 games.

Defensively, Diaz grades out negatively at first base for the most part. After being a positive defender from 2018 through 2023, he took a step back according to outs above average last year with a total of -6 overall.

Diaz is inexpensive in 2025, and he has a club option worth $12 million for 2026. If the Cardinals are unhappy with his performance after this next year, they can simply decline his option and walk away. If they are happy, they can opt-in for 2026 and have themselves a fine first baseman for a bargain. This would be a good trade for the Cardinals depending on, of course, the return the Tampa Bay Rays ask for.

Triston Casas

Though Chaim Bloom wasn't in Boston when Triston Casas was drafted in 2018, Bloom was Boston's chief baseball operator for virtually all of Casas's development. Therefore, Chaim is quite familiar with the Red Sox's young first baseman.

There aren't any true rumors that the Red Sox are shopping Casas at this moment, but Casas himself found it necessary to discuss the trade rumors earlier this month. He expressed a desire to remain in Boston, but he also said that he understood the business side of things. The young first baseman would net quite a return given his age and talent, so it makes sense the Red Sox are possibly shopping him to improve their pitching.

Casas is a career .250/.357/.473 hitter for an OPS+ of 125. He's hit 42 home runs in 222 games. He's been down with a couple of injuries for his career, most notably a right shoulder injury that hampered him last year.

Casas isn't arbitration-eligible until 2026, and he won't be a free agent until 2029. The team control here is virtually unheard of. His skill, years of control, production, and price would make him a costly commodity. The Cardinals would have to part with one major league player (Ryan Helsley, perhaps?), and likely two of their top prospects. Think Tink Hence or Quinn Mathews plus Chase Davis possibly.

Ryan Mountcastle

If the Cardinals don't want to sign a (former) Baltimore Oriole, they can possibly find one in the trade market this offseason. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle has already been mentioned as a player who could be traded from the Orioles this offseason.

Mountcastle, 27, isn't a free agent until 2026, so he has two more years of team control. He made $4.137 million last year through arbitration, and he's projected to see around $6.6 million this year according to MLB Trade Rumors. That would make him significantly cheaper than Paul Goldschmidt, Valdimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, and others on this list.

Since joining the league in August of 2020, Mountcastle has accrued 8.0 bWAR. He has a career .265/.316/.450 slash line with 91 home runs in just over four seasons. Mountcastle has seen some injuries limit him, so he has yet to eclipse 145 games in a season. He's only exceeded 600 plate appearances once in his career.

Camden Yards is not a field that benefits right-handed hitters. Busch Stadium, meanwhile, is neutral when it comes to right-handed hitters. PNC Park and Great American Ballpark both favor right-handed hitters, and the Cardinals play a fair amount of games each year there. Mountcastle could see even more offensive success in the National League Central.

The Orioles would trade Mountcastle to save some money, but they don't have a viable first base option behind him if Ryan O'Hearn's option is declined. O'Hearn's splits also make it difficult to roll him out there every day. Therefore, any trade the Cardinals make for him would have to include a prospect who can play first. Luken Baker is the clear choice, but Baltimore will absolutely ask for a top prospect in addition to Baker. Maybe Ryan Helsley would entice Baltimore enough, too.

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.

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.