Could the St. Louis Cardinals actually trade Paul Goldschmidt? It sounds hard to believe, but it's been suggested by fans and pundits alike.
Paul Goldschmidt will be 36 years old before he enters the final season of his contract. He remains one of the best hitters in all of baseball when he's on, but the question remains just how long he can continue performing at this level, and how much money he'll want when his contract runs up. It would be tough to blame Goldy for chasing after one last payday, especially if a contender is willing to pay a steep price for his services.
Goldschmidt has taken a small step back this season, slashing .287/.377/.493 as compared to his NL MVP-level numbers in 2022. Still, he should be an All-Star, and ought to be playing for a contender. The Cardinals are not that right now.
Goldschmidt has been loosely mentioned in trade rumors for much of the last month, first by Jeff Passan and then others. It's still unlikely he's moved, but if John Mozeliak has a change of heart, where might he land?
Cardinals Rumors: Grading a blockbuster Paul Goldschmidt-Giants trade
It should be noted that I'm grading each of these trades from the Cardinals point of view.
Grade this trade: C
For those unaware, Harrison is the top-rated LHP prospect in baseball, so this isn't nothing from the Cardinals perspective. However, trading a recent MVP and Montgomery in a demanding market for starting pitching for one player would be a failure. It also doesn't sound like the Cards current model. If they were to trade these two key contributors to their current core, one would hope they'd receive more MLB-level talent than just Harrison.
Goldy would fit quite well in San Francisco, which lacks much power from the right-handed side of the plate. LaMonte Wade Jr. would be moved to the outfield.
Grade this trade: B-
For the Cardinals to land a trade package with three of the Phillies top-six prospects, including the No. 31-ranked prospect in all of baseball, they need two things. First, they need what the Phils want. Goldschmidt is one of the best hitters in baseball, and Carlson is a solid outfielder under contract for the next few seasons. That brings value, which allows Philadelphia to feel easy about adding a player like Rojas, who is already in Double-A, to this trade.
Abel is one of the better pitching prospects in baseball, as previously mentioned, and McGarry has electric stuff and a triple-digits fastball. From the Cardinals perspective, this trade is a home run. From Dave Dombrowski's perspective, he'd probably prefer to give up less. Yet, that's not how Dave Dombrowski operates. An aggressive front office helps make trades like this happen.
St. Louis secures two members of their future rotation, while the Phillies make the trades necessary to take the next step in this year's postseason — the World Series — or so they hope.
Grade this trade: B
It's not the best trade package for the Cards, but it's likely the most realistic one. Houston doesn't have to trade any top prospects, but they do deal their top pitching prospect, a 24-year-old who is dealing at the MLB level, and Forrest Whitley. Whitley has been on the verge of MLB action many times, but injuries and setbacks in the minors have limited his playing time.
Overall, Brown could slide right into the top of the Cards rotation in place of Flaherty, who is a free agent after this season. Gordon is a year away from the majors, but could be a middle rotation starter if developed correctly. And it's impossible to deny Whitley's potential, assuming he can stay healthy. For now, though, he's in his mid-20's and ranks No.15 on Houston's prospect list for a reason.
The Astros get their first baseman, as Jose Abreu has been dreadful this season. Flaherty can pitch some meaningful games for a very, very injured rotation.