Aug 17, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) fields a throw against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Former Cardinals MVP Listed As Top Free Agent, Predicted To Leave Yankees

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals were swept over the weekend by the New York Yankees and fell to 61-64 on the season. They are now 5 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card race as they head to loanDepot Park to take on the Miami Marlins for a three-game series. Leading the way for the Bronx Bombers on Sunday was former Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who had three hits and drove in a run in his first trip back to Busch Stadium as a visiting player.

Goldschmidt was merely a defensive replacement in the series opener and sat out the second game of the series, but when he stepped to the plate for the first time on Sunday, the veteran slugger was given a nice standing ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd, as is common when a player leaves St. Louis and returns as a visiting player.

Goldschmidt will be a free agent at the end of the season. Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed him as a top 25 free agent as the season winds down, and made a prediction about what could be next for Goldschmidt.

MLB Writer Predicts Former Cardinal Will Leave Yankees After 2025

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"Goldschmidt’s bat is less potent, but he still plays plus defense at first base and is a strong clubhouse presence," Bowden wrote.

"[Goldschmidt] has lowered his strikeout rate 7 percentage points compared to 2024. He’ll likely be leaving the Yankees after one year because Ben Rice appears ready to take over first base full-time in 2026."

The 37-year-old first baseman signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the Yankees last December. He was traded to St. Louis before the 2019 season and he helped guide St. Louis to the postseason in four straight seasons, which included two NL Central titles.

The seven-time All-Star was also named the NL MVP in 2022 as the Cardinals won 93 games. That was the last time the team made it to the postseason, unfortunately. However, it appears that Goldschmidt will be on the open market yet again this offseason.

With Willson Contreras having replaced him at first base, a return to St. Louis is highly unlikely for Goldschmidt, but he has had a strong season with the Bronx Bombers, so teams will likely show interest in him and try to bring him on board with a short-term deal.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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