The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be heading into a rebuilding phase and may consider moving on from some veteran players, including potentially letting Paul Goldschmidt walk in free agency.
In his predictions for Opening Day lineups, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter suggested that Goldschmidt could sign with the New York Yankees. Reuter envisions Goldschmidt batting cleanup and playing first base for the Yankees in 2025.
The 37-year-old is set to become a free agent, and Spotrac estimates he could sign a one-year, $12.9 million deal. With the Yankees having declined Anthony Rizzo’s club option, Goldschmidt could be a fitting replacement.
Goldschmidt, an eight-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, former NL MVP, and four-time Gold Glove winner, would be joining the Yankees as he nears the end of his career. In 2024, he posted a career-low .245 batting average, and his OPS+ fell below 100 for the first time in his career. Despite these declines, he still hit 24 home runs last season.
Since joining the Cardinals in 2019, Goldschmidt has been a key contributor, hitting 153 home runs and driving in 477 RBIs. If he does leave for the Yankees, the Cardinals would need to adjust their lineup. However, they may already be preparing for Goldschmidt’s departure, as Wilson Contreras is transitioning from catcher to first base, indicating that the team anticipates playing without Goldschmidt moving forward.
