The pros and cons if the Cardinals trade Paul Goldschmidt this offseason

Pro #1: Goldschmidt's value could get the Cardinals some MLB-ready starting pitching

There is no doubt that if Goldschmidt was made available there would be plenty of suitors, and some of those teams have plenty of options when it comes to pitching which is what the Cardinals need.

The Cardinals would be losing a middle-of-the-order hitter and one of the better defensive first basemen in the game, but that value could give the Cardinals what they need the most, which is dependable pitching.

If you think about teams who currently have lots of solid pitchers but are lacking a bit on the offensive end, Minnesota, Cleveland, and Seattle immediately come to mind, those teams could have some young pitching that the Cardinals would be interested in investing in for the long haul.

Pro #2: The Cardinals would get something for Goldschmidt in case he leaves in free agency or retires after 2024

Goldschmidt is a guy who keeps to himself and doesn't give the media that much when it comes to soundbites, so he doesn't seem like a guy who'll talk a whole lot about being a free agent next year, so this is just speculation.

I would say the chances of Goldschmidt signing with St. Louis to end his career here are strong, but if that is not the case then the Cardinals would surely get more than just a draft compensation pick in a trade.

As he gets closer to free agency we will probably hear more rumors and speculation than we are currently, but it could be a situation the Cardinals will have to pay attention to in 2024, especially if the Cardinals find themselves out of contention again and Goldschmidt is having another strong season.

Pro #3: Goldschmidt may not be more valuable than he is right now

This would also be pure speculation on the Cardinals' part if they feel like Goldschmidt would significantly decline as he goes into his late 30s, but will he actually decline? "Goldy" won the MVP in 2022 in his age 34 season, he's the oldest MVP since Barry Bonds won the 2004 NL MVP at age 40.

For most players however, their numbers do decline as they get older, and Goldschmidt will be 37 at the time he's going to be eligible for free agency, what if he'll never be as valuable as he is now? Would the Cardinals be missing out on an opportunity to set themselves up better for the future? Depending on how this off-season goes and how next season goes, those are some questions that the Cardinals might need to address.

Let's look at the three cons if the Cardinals decide to trade Paul Goldschmidt.