Before I start here, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I have loved watching Paul Goldschmidt as a Cardinal. He’s been an exciting player for so many years, and I remember how excited I was when the Cardinals acquired him.
Fast forward to 2022, and he wins an MVP Award while guiding the Cardinals to another division title. While the main highlight of that season was the farewell tour of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, it was a lot of fun to watch Goldschmidt mash opposing pitching.
With all that being said however, the Cardinals are going to have a decision to make this offseason. Do they keep the former MVP around, or do they let him walk and replace him with another power hitter?
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed Goldschmidt’s free agency as the most difficult decision the Cardinals will have to make this coming winter. That’s not the only decision they’ll have to make of course, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
As much as I’ve enjoyed watching Goldschmidt do his thing over the years, I believe it’s time to move on from him, and I think I speak for the majority of the fanbase when I say this.
Don’t get me wrong. Goldschmidt is still a talented ballplayer, but his offensive struggles have proven that father time has caught up to him. He’s just not the same player he used to be, and he’ll never regain his MVP form.
I’ve been saying it for a while, but the Cardinals need to stop counting on him, and Nolan Arenado for that matter to carry the team. They aren’t franchise cornerstones anymore.
To be quite honest, I have to strongly disagree with the notion that Goldschmidt’s free agency is the Cardinals’ toughest decision. To me, the choice is clear, and that’s to let him walk.
He’s going to be 37 in September and he’s hitting just .228 on the season. Sure, he’ll still reach and pass 20 homers, but he’s only driven in 49 runs, and he has an OPS of .673. That’s not good enough.
The Cardinals need to improve offensively this offseason if they want to have any chance at contending in 2025. Keeping Goldschmidt, as much as I hate to say it, is not the right approach. The Cardinals need somebody better who has a stronger recent track record than Goldschmidt at this point. I would gladly accept somebody like J.D. Martinez or Christian Walker, but it’s time to move on from Goldy.