Paul Goldschmidt's continued decline makes the Cardinals appear shrewd

"Fading star first baseman seeking World Series title before time runs out."

Paul Goldschmidt probably isn't submitting requests to local newspapers' classified sections, but it's hard not to feel for the 38-year-old first baseman as he nears the end of a Hall of Fame-worthy career without a championship ring to call his own. The New York Yankees are not expected to re-sign Goldschmidt after inking him to a one-year deal this past offseason, but with no plans to retire, Goldschmidt will look for one more team that he can play a part in helping obtain that elusive trophy. It almost certainly won't be for the St. Louis Cardinals, and after his 2025 season, it's clear that the Cardinals' decision to move on from him was the correct one.

The Cardinals were wise to pass on keeping Goldschmidt.

When the St. Louis Cardinals landed Goldschmidt in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2018 season, they believed that they had secured a pillar to help bring the next championship to the Gateway City. But after six years playing at Busch Stadium, including a phenomenal 2022, where he won the National League MVP award, Goldschmidt's time with the team was clearly up, as he had been unable to come anywhere close to those numbers in his next two seasons.

After signing with the Yankees for 2025, Goldschmidt started the season hot — a rarity for him — hitting .350 through May 12. It looked like he'd found his stroke after leaving St. Louis, but for the rest of the season, Goldschmidt managed a paltry .238/.294/.358 line, and his power, once the signature part of his game, had completely dissipated, with him managing only 10 home runs on the season and just six past May 12.

Following Goldschmidt's departure, the Cardinals shifted Willson Contreras off of catcher and placed him at first base, and they gave Ivan Herrera the brunt of the work behind the plate, at least early in the season before moving him off of the position. Herrera flourished in the batter's box, holding an .837 OPS with 19 home runs and proving that he could be either a valuable piece in the Cardinals' impending rebuild or a valuable trade chip for pitching. If Goldschmidt were still in tow, the Cardinals may not have been able to make the discoveries they did regarding Contreras and Herrera.

Goldschmidt was long known for his exceptional defense, but he regressed in that area as well in 2025, and Contreras actually put up better defensive numbers at the cold corner than Goldschmidt did. Goldschmidt managed a fielding run value of two runs below average, whereas Contreras was four runs above average.

The Cardinals have handed out their fair share of bad extensions over the years, with those of Dexter Fowler and Mike Leake and the second extensions of Matt Carpenter and Miles Mikolas among the worst of the crop, but they deserve approval for declining to extend Goldschmidt for 2025 and perhaps beyond. The team appears desperate to get out from under Nolan Arenado's contract; having the Cardinals attempting to rebuild with Goldschmidt signed as well is too chilling to think about.

It's a pity that Goldschmidt has not reached the summit of baseball in being able to carry home a championship, but Cardinals fans shouldn't soon forget his performance in 2022. On the field and off of it, Goldschmidt has shown that he is worthy of admiration. That, along with the veteran presence he provides, should allow him to capture the heart of at least one more team that's looking to win it all.