The Cardinals have no plans to bring in a veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in 2025, according to a report from The Athletic’s Katie Woo. Goldschmidt is scheduled to hit free agency this offseason, and while it was previously rumored that the club would be interested in bringing him back in 2025, it now appears that way as if the club was parting ways with the future Hall of Famer. For his part, Goldschmidt has made it clear that he wants to continue his career until 2025.

Goldschmidt isn’t the only player expected to leave this offseason. According to Woo, it is unlikely that any of the club’s pending free agents will return to the club next year as the club focuses on strengthening its player development apparatus. Woo specifically noted that assistants Andrew Kitteredge and Keynan Middleton They are expected to land elsewhere this winter, although she stressed it is not yet clear whether they are experienced starters Lance Lynn And Kyle Gibson are included in the expected exodus. St. Louis holds identical club options worth $12 million on the duo’s services for next year, each with a $1 million buyout.

Woo also suggests that a major league payroll cut could be on the horizon as the club reinvests in player development, echoing a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that suggested the Cardinals have experienced players Right-handed people could shop Sonny Gray as they try to cut payroll. Woo didn’t specifically indicate that Gray would be shopped, but included the right-hander among a handful of veteran Cardinals players whose future with the club could be “in question” alongside the third baseman due to a drop in payroll this winter Nolan ArenadoCatcher Willson Contrerasand closer Ryan Helsley. MLBTR discussed Gray’s potential trade candidacy today in conjunction with Nightengale’s report, which named the Reds as a potential suitor for the veteran’s services.

If the Cardinals are thinking about acquiring Gray this winter to reduce payroll, it’s only natural that the club could also consider offers for a number of other high-priced veterans. Contreras, in particular, could be a viable candidate to move clubs this winter. The 32-year-old backstop has been nothing short of phenomenal with the bat since joining the Cardinals prior to the 2023 season, posting an impressive .263/.367/.468 (133 wRC+) in 209 games with St. Louis. He has achieved the offensive breakthrough he enjoyed in his final season with the Cubs in 2022.

However, not everything has gone well for Contreras since joining the club. The veteran was temporarily removed from catcher after just six weeks in the organization, only to be reinstated as the Cubs’ regular catcher shortly thereafter. According to Statcast’s Fielding Run Value, Contreras was worth -3 runs behind the plate last year, which was his worst since 2019. These defensive problems behind the plate led the club’s coaches to suggest Contreras move closer to the plate when catching. The strategy appears to have helped improve his defense at the position as his FRV improved to +0 this year, but it came at a significant cost as the veteran suffered a broken arm earlier this year that required surgery , after being hit by a backswing Mets DH JD Martinez.

Given the Cardinals’ concerns about defending Contreras, the $54.5 million he’s due over the next three seasons and the presence of up-and-coming young players Ivan Herrera And Pedro Pages With the Cardinals poised to take on larger roles in the majors, it would hardly be a surprise if they listened to offers from the veteran catcher this offseason. Given his success at the plate over the past three years, it seems reasonable to expect teams would be interested in the veteran’s services even if they agree with St. Louis’s suspicions about his defense behind the plate, since he could transition to a first base or DH role fairly seamlessly if a acquiring club wanted to make such a move. Of course, it’s also possible that there is a club that either believes it can improve Contreras’ defense or is willing to sacrifice defensive value behind the plate to add a mid-range hitter to its lineup, which he would be happy to do Contreras would also be used as a catcher.

Arenado, on the other hand, could be harder for the club to move if they sign him. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer opted out of the final five years and $144 million of his contract with the club before the 2023 season, which was somewhat surprising at the time. That being said, in the two seasons since, the third baseman hasn’t looked like the MVP candidate he was earlier in his career. In 296 games with St. Louis over the past two seasons, Arenado has hit just .269/.320/.426. That’s still good for an above-average 104 wRC+, and coupled with his strong but no longer elite defense at third base, he’s posted a total of 5.8 fWAR over the last two years.

While this level of production still sees Arenado as a clearly valuable player even when he’s in his mid-30s, it’s easy to imagine rival clubs balking at the idea of ​​giving up significant potential capital while also spending the remaining three years and 74 years remaining million to take on Arenado’s contract with the club, although it’s worth noting that the Rockies are paying back $5 million of that per year to reduce the total exposure to just $59 million over three seasons.

Another factor that shouldn’t be ignored is that Arenado, Contreras and Gray all currently have full no-trade clauses, meaning any of them could block trades to any team. That’s not necessarily always a barrier to a trade, as players with no-trade protection often forfeit those rights should their teams want to move on, but it does provide any veteran with significant leverage in the event the Cardinals pursue a move from each of them. This leverage could be used to ensure they are traded to a preferred organization or to obtain additional financial incentives in return for waiving his no-trade clause, as Arenado did when he agreed to do so waiving his no-trade clause to be traded from the Rockies to the Cardinals in exchange for another year and $15 million in addition to the end of his contract.

More to come…