Exploring an extension for St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt

What would an extension for Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt look like?

The St. Louis Cardinals still have some questions for their roster when it comes to the 2023 season, but in the back of President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak's mind, there are some other things that could be addressed on their roster in regards to 2024 and beyond. One of those items on his agenda should be a potential extension for reigning National League Most Valuable Player Paul Goldschmidt.

Goldschmidt, who is now 35-years old, has two seasons remaining on his current contract. While that may seem like a far away issue, the looming question of Goldschmidt's future on the team, and at what price point, will begin to weigh on the minds of the Cardinals front office for the next two seasons.

In a vacuum, extending Goldschmidt seems like a no brainer. The guy is coming off an MVP winning season, one of the best seasons in recent Cardinals history, and embodies everything the Cardinals want in a superstar player. But Goldschmidt will be 37-years old by the time his next contract would start, and its unknown whether or not he will continue to hit at an elite level over the next few seasons.

With all of that being said, the idea of an extension for Goldschmidt is not as simple as one would think, and is worth looking at now when considering the future of the Cardinals. St. Louis could try and get a deal done this off-season, which would help them have clarity in future planning, but is that a wise move? And if so, what would a Goldschmidt extension look like?