The St. Louis Cardinals have an important decision to make soon.
Cardinals star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will be a free agent at the end of the 2024 campaign and both sides have made it clear that they would like the partnership to continue.
Goldschmidt won the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player but had a down year in 2023 -- like many of the Cardinals did overall.
It's unclear when exactly a deal could get done, but it wouldn't be surprising to see one happen, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
"Goldschmidt is slated to become a free agent at the end of this season, but much like (José Altuve) and the (Houston Astros), St. Louis could look to extend the 2022 NL Most Valuable Player to keep him in a Cardinals uniform for the rest of his career," Feinsand said. "Goldschmidt’s numbers declined slightly in 2023, so perhaps the Cardinals will wait to see how he plays in 2024 before trying to extend him beyond this year."
The 36-year-old is one of the best first basemen in baseball -- even in a down year -- and it would make a lot of sense to keep him around for the foreseeable future. He not only is one of the top players in baseball, but he has developed into a leader in the clubhouse for St. Louis.
Goldschmidt found his name in trade rumors last season but it wouldn't be surprising to see him spend the rest of his career in St. Louis.
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