The St. Louis Cardinals will look and feel drastically different next season.
John Mozeliak, Chaim Bloom, and the front office have made their intentions clear. The Cardinals plan to clear the roster of past-prime talent and begin rebuilding the farm system. Rather than spending significantly in free agency, St. Louis is content to take a competitive backseat and focus on the long term.
It’s been decades since St. Louis was non-competitive for a prolonged stretch of time, but the MLB environment is shifting. The Cardinals have spent the last few years pursuing Milwaukee in vain. Mozeliak’s elderly core never really came together. The 2024 campaign was exceptionally challenging, as St. Louis’ top veterans recorded new career lows nearly everywhere.
That brings us to the present day, where Paul Goldschmidt is now a member of the New York Yankees. The former MVP would never return to St. Louis — the Cardinals are making room for the upcoming youth movement — but Goldy’s presence will be missed nonetheless. Not just among fans, but also in the locker room and throughout the organization.
Breakups are unpleasant, and it’s impossible to overestimate Goldschmidt’s influence on the Cardinals, both on and off the field.
Cardinals will miss Paul Goldschmidt for more reasons than his bat
Goldscmidt achieved great heights throughout his six-year stay in St. Louis, including his NL MVP season in 2022. He ended his Cardinals career with.278/.360/.483 slash line, 153 home runs in 836 games. This past season was by far his worst — Goldschmidt’s age has certainly caught up with him — but the 37-year-old still maintained a decent slugging average while defending first base better than most.
The Cardinals are not better off without Goldschmidt in the lineup. That much is apparent. More than just losing his productivity, St. Louis will miss Goldschmidt’s leadership in the clubhouse.
This excerpt from MLB.com’s John Denton explains everything:
“Tommy Edman, the former Cards Gold Glover who went on to win a World Series with the Dodgers this past October, said he might not have stuck in the big leagues had Goldschmidt not taught him the importance of a daily routine and how to properly prepare for games early in his career.”
According to Denton’s article, Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman selected lockers near Goldschmidt’s No. 46 to “see his seriousness and daily dedication.” Goldschmidt would respond to questions in the locker room following blowout losses, accept responsibility for poor performances, and set a good example. He was a consummate professional and a cornerstone of the Cardinals’ locker room culture.
Did Goldschmidt get what he wanted in St. Louis? Perhaps not. During his career, the Cardinals never made it far into the playoffs. Nonetheless, he became a popular character in St. Louis sports, and his legacy will carry on in that community. The fact that Goldschmidt’s leadership may now be transferred to Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm, and the reigning AL champions in New York does not bode well for the remainder of the American League.
