The St. Louis Cardinals are deadlocked for a wild-card place in the National League despite being two games below.500. They have fewer than two months until the trade deadline of July 30. If they decide to sell, Paul Goldschmidt may be traded.
After leading the league in OPS (.981) and OPS+ (177) and hitting 35 home runs, Goldschmidt had an MVP campaign two seasons ago. Despite his poor performance this season, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report surmises that Goldschmidt might be one of the players most sought after at the deadline.
Goldschmidt, 36, is hitting.222 this season and has only hit seven home runs in 56 games. If the season ended today, he would also have career-low on-base and slugging stats.
However, that just conveys a portion of the tale. In the past 19 games, Goldschmidt has begun to improve. During that span, he has hit.279 with a.347 average on balls in play and has nailed five of his seven home runs this year. Not by accident, St. Louis has a 13-6 record in those contests.
However, Miller notes that Baseball Reference still only projects the Cardinals’ chances of making the playoffs at 4.3%, despite Goldschmidt and the team’s recent surge. Although Fangraphs is far more upbeat, the Cardinals are still viewed as having less than a 1-in-3 chance of making the playoffs.
The National League wild-card picture is quite hazy at this time of year, which contributes to part of the issue. After nearly 60 games, not a single National League team is farther than eight games from a postseason berth. Just two have played more than four games. The next six weeks will provide some clarity, and if the Cardinals decide to sell, teams trying to add another hitter may find a half-year rental appealing.
Deal for Paul Goldschmidt Using the Cardinals
Prior to the 2020 season, Goldschmidt inked a five-year, $130 million contract with the Cardinals, which runs out this year. Because of the arrangement of the transaction, he will receive $26 million in 2024. That amounts to just under 11% of the luxury tax threshold for the Cardinals.
He also has a number of incentives included in his contract, but it’s unlikely that he will meet the larger ones, such as the $250,000 All-Star bonus, unless he maintains this remarkable turnaround.
Goldschmidt isn’t exactly trying out for a long-term contract at his age. But if he joins a new team and contributes well, he might earn a sizable salary in the offseason.
Possible Parties to a Tradesuit
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report made some wild guesses about potential suitors for Goldschmidt early in the season when the first baseman was still having trouble. He stated that lower-budget teams might be an option as a rental and mentioned the Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins as possible suitors.
However, the Guardians have already contacted Kyle Manzardo since that writing, so they may no longer be in the running. The Rangers would be a really interesting choice. Bruce Bochy could use someone like Goldschmidt, who has a.323 average off of southpaws, and has started resting lefty Nathaniel Lowe against left-handed pitchers.
Kelly said that the Cardinals might want to retain him around even if they aren’t in the running for the pennant.
After eight years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kelly recalled, “he won NL MVP with them and spent six years in St. Louis.” “If he makes it into Cooperstown, the Cardinals may enjoy the chance to assert that Goldschmidt was just as much a Cardinal as a Diamondback. He has a very real Hall of Fame case.”
