The Cardinals completed a major trade that landed them first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday in exchange for catcher Carson Kelly, pitcher Luke Weaver, infielder Andy Young, and a draft pick
Goldschmidt, 31, is entering the final year of his team control. He is, without a doubt, one of the best first basemen in baseball -- and has been throughout his career. To wit, he recovered from a slow start last season to hit .290/.389/.533 (139 OPS+) with 33 home runs. For his career, he's hit .297/.398/.532 (145 OPS+) with 209 home runs.
"We've been busy this offseason working to upgrade our lineup, and today we are excited to announce the acquisition of one of the game's premier players," Cardinals president John Mozeliak said in a statement.
By adding Goldschmidt to the roster, the Cardinals can now shift Matt Carpenter back across the diamond to third base, effectively upgrading their production there and improving their bench by relegating Jedd Gyorko to reserve duty. The Cardinals could also opt to trade Gyorko, or insert him at second base in place of Kolten Wong. Whatever St. Louis decides to to do there, the team can do it because Goldschmidt is around.
The Cardinals finished with six more wins than the Diamondbacks, sure, but in terms of run differential, the clubs ranked 12th and 13th in baseball (third- and fourth-best among non-playoff teams).
Goldschmidt, who has finished second or third in NL MVP voting three times, is heading into his final season of club control and receives a $1 million assignment bonus for the trade. He stands to earn $14.5 million in 2019 before reaching free agency next winter.
"This was an extremely difficult decision given how much Paul has meant to our team both on and off the field," Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall said. "He represents everything it means to be a D-back, and we are very thankful to him for all that he has done for our franchise and our fans."
