Paul Goldschmidt is drawing strong interest from Cardinals' division rival

As if the Milwaukee Brewers haven't done enough to annoy St. Louis Cardinals fans in recent years, they may try to swipe and revitalize the career of their former Most Valuable Player, Paul Goldschmidt.

In a recent notebook dump over on USA Today, Bob Nightengale shared that he's hearing the Brewers would love to add Goldschmidt to their roster, although there is a factor complicating their pursuit.

"The Brewers would love to find a way to get former Cardinals All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on their roster," wrote Nightengale, "and would have been all-in if first baseman Rhys Hoskins had opted out of his contract".

Going into the offseason, the Brewers were a team being connected to Goldschmidt due to their need to upgrade the offense and the uncertainty surrounding Hoskins' future with the club. Hoskins ended up opting into the $18 million option he had for 2025 though, which makes it harder for the Brewers to add another first baseman to their mix.

Roster construction-wise, the Brewers can make Goldschmidt work in their lineup, even if Hoskins is still around. One of the two could DH for the club frequently, and whenever Christian Yelich is healthy and ready to roll, he can slot back into the outfield while they try Sal Frelick back out again at third base. The Brewers experimented with that a bit in 2024 but had enough outfield need that he did not stick here.

The bigger question for the Brewers will likely be the price tag associated with Goldschmidt and whether or not they can afford to have both on the roster. The Brewers operate with a tight payroll, and if Goldschmidt ends up commanding $15 million or so on his deal, that'll be over $30 million of their payroll wrapped up into two first baseman.

If the Brewers are really that interested in Goldschmidt though, it may cause them to be aggressive here. In Goldschmidt's 67 career games playing at Miller Park, he's slashed .307/.380/.617 with 20 home runs and 51 RBI, good for a 166 wRC+. Even in a down 2024 season, Goldschmidt posted a 135 wRC+ when playing in Milwaukee, so the Brewers may feel like he can be comfortable at the plate once again playing in their uniform.

In a vacuum, watching Goldschmidt walk this offseason is not a huge loss for the Cardinals. It's expected at this point and a choice the club is intentionally making to turn a page to a new era. I agree with that decision. But if Goldschmidt were to end up with the Brewers and experience a resurgence, that is going to be a really tough pill to swallow for the organization and this fan base.

I totally get why Milwaukee wants to take a swing at him. While his contract won't be cheap per se, the potential payoff that the club could get from having him in their lineup could be massive, and if there's any organization that knows how to get the most out of the talent they have in recent years, it is the Brewers.

Keep an eye on the Brewers pursuit of Goldschmidt, as it has the potential to rub salt in the wound of Cardinals fans further next season.