3 Cardinals who could be traded this offseason if Paul Goldschmidt resigns

Nolan Gorman

Gorman currently finds himself in purgatory with the Cardinals. Now granted they have faced a decent amount of left-handed starting pitchers recently, but he is hovering around the Mendoza Line right now and his playing time has declined because of that. Gorman is 6 for his last 59 dating back to July 10.

So why would Gorman potentially be traded if Goldschmidt gets a new contract? If you look at who is with the big club right now, the player who mostly handles first base when Goldschmidt gets an off day is Alec Burleson, which I believe would also make him the most likely candidate to take over over anyone else on the roster.

Burleson has arguably been the team's offensive MVP this year, so as it stands right now you're keeping him around, but if you're keeping Goldschmidt around as well that keeps Burleson in the outfield, whether it's right field or left field. You then have Michael Siani, Victor Scott II, Lars Nootbaar, and Jordan Walker competing for playing time in the outfield, and that leaves out the player who has played left field more than anyone in Brendan Donovan.

You would assume the plan is to have Walker back in the big leagues and playing every day sooner rather than later, and if the outfield is healthy, do you need Donovan to play the outfield as much as he's had this season? It's great to have Donovan's defensive versatility, but with all those outfielders you might see Donovan play predominantly second base, which is where Gorman currently plays when he is in the lineup.

You could have Gorman DH but he hasn't made this any easier for himself with how poorly he has hit this season. Burleson has been the offensive player that lots of us were expecting Gorman to be this year, someone to provide protection to Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, so I think this makes Gorman expendable.

His upside is still very high as a prolific power hitter, and he is only 24 years old, but he is having all kinds of struggles at the plate in 2024 and is losing playing time. If the Cardinals decide to keep Goldschmidt past this season, they may have to make a decision with their slumping young slugger.

Luken Baker

If Paul Goldschmidt is staying around for 2025 then you have to look and evaluate the current first basemen in Triple-A Memphis who is having another strong offensive season in the minor leagues. 

Luken Baker may be in a bit in between a rock and a hard place at the moment. It seems like he is too good for Triple-A pitching, but he is not quite ready for major league pitching, which is what we saw in his brief big-league stint last season.

Baker is currently hitting .237 this season which is almost 100 points lower than last season, but he is still providing plenty of power, with 30 home runs and 74 RBI, giving him 63 home runs and 172 RBI total in the last two seasons in Memphis.

So you would obviously have nowhere to put Baker other than DH if he were to be on the roster at the same time as Goldschmidt, but it would be difficult to guarantee him playing time. He would probably be in the big leagues with several other organizations just for his bat and his ability to hit for power, it could be something the Cardinals would have to consider if they choose to re-sign Goldschmidt. 

It would also be a good time to maybe try and maximize on his current value and give him a chance elsewhere to play more frequently. I just wrote recently about how the Cardinals failed to do this with Moises Gomez when he was putting up huge numbers in Memphis, they decided to not call him up or trade him, and he was just recently granted his release. You’d hate to see that happen again with another minor league player, so if they decide to stick with Goldschmidt, then you have to ask yourself if it makes sense to have a 27-year-old who continuously hits 30+ home runs in the minors sitting in the minors without a clear cut path to get consistent AB’s in the bigs. 

Lars Nootbaar

This may be difficult for some fans to hear, but Lars Nootbaar may be just a league-average player, and nothing more than that. He does bring value to the team with his defense and his infectious personality, which makes him a fan favorite, but what if Paul Goldschmidt is still a Cardinal in 2025 and beyond, does Nootbaar have a spot on this roster?

As I previously mentioned, the best option to play first base currently on the 26-man roster would likely be Alec Burleson, but Goldschmidt staying would mean that Burleson stays put in the outfield. You then have Michael Siani and Victor Scott II as center field options, and then the other outfield spot could go to Nootbaar, but Brendan Donovan has played a lot of outfield this year, and when Jordan Walker is ready to be called up again, where do they all go?

It may be too early to give up on Jordan Walker just yet, he is still very young and still learning how to fix the mechanics in his swing to hit the ball in the air more consistently, the Cardinals wouldn't have made him a full-time outfielder if they didn't intend on having him play every day in the big leagues, and I still believe that's the case. Siani has earned his stripes and deserves to be the starting center fielder. Scott's bat may not quite be ready for big-league pitching, but his defense and speed add significant value. And of course, Burleson has had a breakout season at the plate, can you guarantee Nootbaar to be a regular starter in the outfield when all these players are healthy?

And speaking of health, that may be the biggest problem with Nootbaar, he has struggled with injuries the past few seasons. The most games he has played in a season is 117, and 2 stints on the injured list this season have limited him to only 64 games so far. He is also having the worst offensive season of his career. His batting average and OBP are tied for the lowest of his career, and his SLG, OPS, and OPS+ are all at the lowest of his career.

So let's say the Cardinals bring back Paul Goldschmidt for next season and beyond, and all of your outfielders are fully healthy, is Lars Nootbaar good enough to take away playing time from somebody else? It may sound strict, but I think it's at least worthy for a discussion.