The St. Louis Cardinals fell short of the postseason for the second consecutive year after finishing the 2024 season with an 83-79 record. It also marked the fifth time in the last nine years that the Cardinals have missed the playoffs.
Now, they will begin a rebuild, which means they could be saying goodbye to several key players.
While some may be traded, others will leave in free agency. Slugger Paul Goldschmidt is a player who likely will not be brought back.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report linked the Cardinals slugger to his old team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“Goldy is a shell of what he used to be, going from a .981 OPS as an MVP in 2022 to an .810 mark last year and a by far career-worst .716 in 2024,” Miller wrote.
“When news breaks of Goldschmidt signing a short-term contract with a team like Houston, Seattle, or a reunion with Arizona, it will at least feel like a potential big deal.”
Goldschmidt began his career with Arizona and was acquired by St. Louis prior to the 2019 season. He earned National League MVP honors in 2022 but hasn’t quite been the same ever since.