Cardinals: 6 trade partners that could make trading Paul Goldschmidt worth the gamble

The Astros may need a starting pitcher, but Goldschmidt could give them a needed power bat

The Houston Astros needing a bat is a weird thing to say out loud in 2023, but here we are. At this moment in time, their bigger need is "probably" at starting pitcher especially if Framber Valdez's calf injury ends up putting him on the shelf for a while. However, the Houston offense has suffered with Yordan Alvarez out and Jose Abreu forgetting how to hit for the first two months of the season.

The roster fit is a little complicated here especially with Yordan Alvarez presumably coming back pretty soon. However, putting Goldschmidt at first, Abreu at DH, and Alvarez in the outfield (while also getting DH starts) seems to make some level of sense and would definitely give the Astros' lineup some pep in its step.

However, it is unclear that the Astros want to commit to the $22 million a year that Goldschmidt is owed as good as he is (this is Jim Crane we are talking about after all). The Astros farm system is also a bit light at the moment. While Drew Gilbert is a fine player, the Cardinals aren't short on outfielders and the pitching in the Astros' system does leave something to be desired.

The Marlins have hung around and a trade with the Cardinals could make them legit contenders

Who would have thought that we would be talking about the Marlins as a legit playoff contender at the trade deadline in 2023? What a time to be alive.

The Marlins have surpassed all expectations (not to mention their own -12 run differential) to have one of the best records in the National League thanks largely to their top 5 pitching staff in all of baseball. Their offense is decidedly middle of the road (99 wRC+) and that is with Luiz Arraez and Jorge Soler doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Goldschmidt could immediately slot in at first base and in the heart of the Marlins' lineup and Miami has a number of young pitchers that could be interesting including Max Meyer, Jake Eder, or even the injured Sixto Sanchez if Mozeliak is looking to gamble a bit. One guy that seems right up the Cardinals' alley is Jacob Amaya who is a versatile and quality defender who is starting to show some feel for hitting. However, Miami's miserly ways are well-documented and this is another spot where Goldschmidt could veto a deal.