1B Paul Goldschmidt
When John Mozeliak traded away Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, and Andy Young for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals fans grew excited for another era of competition. Goldschmidt, a six-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glover, and four-time Silver Slugger up to that point, would be an integral part of the Cardinals as they entered the next decade of baseball.
Soon after the trade, Goldschmidt signed a five-year extension to stay with the Cardinals through the 2024 season. That extension paid huge dividends for an organization that had been searching for a star since Matt Holliday five years prior.
Paul Goldschmidt would continue to flex his muscle in St. Louis after the trade; he would represent the Cardinals as an All-Star in 2022, and he would nab a Silver Slugger trophy in 2022 and a Gold Glove in 2021.
The biggest complaint fans have of Goldschmidt as a Cardinal would be his lack of postseason success. Despite having a 131 OPS+ as a Cardinals, Goldschmidt couldn't perform as well when the lights shone brightest. Goldy went to four different postseasons as a Cardinal. He had an .848 OPS in 2019, a 1.055 OPS in 2020, and a .933 OPS in 2021 during the postseason.
However, Goldy shrank in the 2022 postseason, perhaps the Cardinals' best chance at winning a World Series with him on the team. He went 0-7 in the National League Wild Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies with eight strikeouts. He, along with the next player on this list, fizzled out after a grueling MVP season that year.
Goldschmidt's six-year career in St. Louis faded in his final two years, but he left several lasting memories for the fanbase including an MVP-winning season in 2022. Goldy slashed .317/.404/.578 that year with 35 home runs and 115 RBIs. Seeing Paul Goldschmidt sign with the New York Yankees prior to the 2025 season was bittersweet for Cardinals fans. He provided many wonderful memories from 2019-2024, but he couldn't reach the apex of the World Series during his time in St. Louis.
