Weighing the pros and cons of a Paul Goldschmidt extension

2 of 2

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt looks like himself again, and while that's too late for the team to gain meaningful ground in the National League playoff picture, Goldy may be playing himself into a contract extension in St. Louis. Goldschmidt has stated his intentions to play again in the 2025 season, and he'd be a clear extension candidate for the Cardinals going forward.

However, with the emergence of Alec Burleson as a potential successor at first base, and with Luken Baker's intriguing bat waiting as well, is that really the best decision for the Cardinals' long-term future? Until the start of September, Goldschmidt had regressed to a below-average bat and was unplayably bad with runners in scoring position. So, was that the type of hitter Goldschmidt is at age 37, or was he just in an extremely long slump before finding himself in the last month of the season? Here are some of the pros and cons of extending Paul Goldschmidt.

The pros

Paul Goldschmidt has had a resurgence in September

In August, Paul Goldschmidt slashed .272/.337/.478 for an .815 OPS and he's slashed .313/.340/.521 for an .861 OPS so far in September. While the numbers with runners in scoring position are still quite alarming, he's been better in the clutch as of late, and he could be the bat the Cardinals need to get the offense going in 2025. If his decline in the first half of 2024 wasn't actually a sign of age regression, but rather a massive slump, he could return in 2025 with a big bounceback season.

If the Cardinals can count on a resurgent Goldschmidt and improved Arenado to lead the offense, they'll have the pieces they need to win. The pitching should be good enough with a competent offense to get to the Postseason. There just may be enough on the roster to talk yourself into it.

The Cardinals could use him as a role model for younger players

In evaluating Paul Goldschmidt's "veteran leadership," it's probably not as great as we'd like. After all, he was one of the veterans asking for the additions of Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford this offseason to stabilize the clubhouse. However, having Goldy as an established veteran in the league and a future Hall of Famer would be tremendous for up-and-coming players like Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and Victor Scott II. Young players can gather a lot of information from observing the routines and processes of established players like Goldy.

He enjoys playing in St. Louis and would probably sign a team friendly deal

"He wanted to be here" is a bit of an overstated cliche at this point, but having free agents who want to play for your team is extremely important. Sure, the Cardinals should've applied that logic to players like Max Scherzer, who they weren't willing to pay, but it does help keep payroll down and morale high. Some free agents sign with new teams for the salary without showing much dedication or drive to help their team win. (See a former All-Star third baseman in Southern California)

It's clear Goldschmidt enjoys playing baseball in St. Louis, and it's an organization he's rather comfortable with. His work ethic is unquestionable, and his drive to help the Cardinals win is better than any other. Moreover, if he's willing to sign a team-friendly deal, he could provide an All-Star caliber bat to the lineup for relatively cheap. If his resurgence is for real, it could be a savvy move for a Cardinals front office who often overspends in free agency.

The cons

The Cardinals will avoid cutting ties with him if his play get worse

The Cardinals' tradition will make it difficult to cut ties with Goldschmidt if he struggles the way he had earlier in the season. Like with Brandon Crawford in 2024 and Adam Wainwright in 2023, the Cardinals tend to give veterans more respect and playing time even when all else indicates they should not. With Waino, there was a fine reason as the Cardinals were vastly out of contention and just needed their former ace to reach the 200-win mark. However, the usage of Crawford on the roster this year was inexcusable.

Unlike with a younger player such as Luken Baker, it will be hard for the Cardinals and likely for Goldschmidt to admit that his time as an everyday player is over and have him strictly platooning against left-handed pitching. Even if it is just a one-year contract, the Cardinals would be in big trouble if Goldy continues to struggle or regresses even further.

Luken Baker won't get much playing time if any

In a second half that has been full of downers, Luken Baker's emergence as a solid platoon bat against left-handed pitching has been one of the bright spots. He's been mostly unplayable against righties, but he's continued his torrid Triple-A performance into the Majors slashing .300/.429/.900 in his limited sample against lefties. It's certainly much more intriguing than last year's performance, and he's proven the ability to hold his own in the big leagues.

If the Cardinals were to resign Goldschmidt, Baker's role as a right-handed power bat who can fill in at first base or DH would be a bit of a redundancy. He and Burleson could form a DH platoon, but with Willson Contreras only getting older, the veteran catcher will likely take most of the reps at DH when Burleson sits against lefties. Once again, Baker will probably be forced into a Triple-A role or serve as the 26th man on the roster.

It's more of the same thing

For a Cardinals team in need of big changes going forward, bringing back a player who was part of the struggles, and a big reason for the Cardinals' failures in 2024, makes little sense. If Goldschmidt and Arenado had produced even similar to their 2023 results, the Cardinals would have secured a playoff spot and contended with the Brewers for the NL Central. However, with both regressing significantly from down years in 2023, the Cardinals' offense floundered and couldn't carry its weight. If the Cardinals are looking for a "tentpole" bat, they may want to look to someone younger with a higher upside.

manual

Home / St Louis Cardinals News