With MLB free agency underway Paul Goldschmidt among former Cardinals seeking a new team
The annual international game of musical chairs known as Major League Baseball free agency has begun. Players have vacated their roster spots across the majors, and many will eventually fill seats vacated by their baseball brethren. Rising prospects arriving at the rhythmic derby for the first time will fill other spots.
The Cardinals are poised to look inward more than outward this winter, but player movement still will serve as a central theme around MLB this offseason. That movement will almost assuredly impact the National League Central Division. It could also have ramifications on potential trade markets the Cardinals could explore.
Cardinals veteran players on the free agent market include starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, relief pitchers Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton and first basemen/designated hitters Paul Goldschmidt and Matt Carpenter.
Goldschmidt, the 2022 NL MVP, struggled at the plate for much of this past season. For his career he has batted .289 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage.
Goldschmidt turned 37 in September. While his production for the season fell behind his career averages (.245/.302/.414), his offense picked up late in the summer. He slashed .273/.325/.475 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in his final 50 games (49 starts). His 22 home runs led the Cardinals.
"To say — I'm 37 now — that you're going to be the same as when you're 27, that's just not the truth," Goldschmidt said after his final home game at Busch Stadium in September . "But you can still perform at that age, or at my age. We've seen guys do it. I'm confident that that's not holding me back, but it's part of what goes on in your career. As you get older, you've got to make adjustments and you've got to adapt."
Goldschmidt is part of a free agent class that includes arguably the game's best all-around hitter in terms of hitting for average, on-base ability and power in former Nationals, Padres and Yankees left-handed hitter Juan Soto.
Some of the other premier hitters include Mets slugger Pete Alonso, Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, Brewers shortstop Willy Adames, Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander, Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker and Padres infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar among others.
The top pitching talent available includes former Cy Young Award winners Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, as well as multi-time World Series winners Nathan Eovaldi and Charlie Morton and a long list of all-star caliber hurlers such as Max Fried and Walker Buehler.
The market for available free agents will likely impact the trade market, which the Cardinals are expected to explore. Teams mulling trades as an option to fill needs must also weigh those deals, which include losing current players or prospects, against spending money to acquire free agents.
Former Cardinals hitting the market
Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, fresh off a World Series championship with his hometown Dodgers, leads a group of former Cardinals who could be prominent figures in free agent machinations.
Outfielder Tyler O'Neill is part of the free-agent class of sluggers after a productive season in Boston. He played in 113 games with the Red Sox and hit 31 home runs with a slash line of .241/.336/.511.
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery exercised his $22.5 million option to stay with the Arizona Diamondbacks despite public criticism hurled by Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick about Montgomery's performance this past season. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Diamondbacks are likely to trade Montgomery and are willing to eat money to make his contract palatable to trade partners.
Other former Cardinals available on the open market include pitcher Jose Quintana, infielder Paul DeJong, outfielder Tommy Pham, outfielder Harrison Bader and outfielder Jason Heyward.
The rest of the NL Central
CHICAGO CUBS
Free agents: Kyle Hendricks, RHP; Jorge López, RHP; Drew Smyly, LHP.
Hot stove outlook: The Cubs have reached outside their organization for major-league caliber talent in recent years with the signings of shortstop Dansby Swanson, outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, outfielder Seiya Suzuki and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga. They could look to add to their pitching staff, both in terms of rotation and bullpen, with veterans like Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly no longer under contract (Hendricks signed with the Los Angeles Angels).
Considering their need to add pitching depth and their pursuits of Imanaga and Suzuki in recent years, the Cubs could be suitors for Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old is expected to be among the top available starting pitchers on the market this winter with a bevy of teams vying for him, including the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cubs could explore the market for catchers. They entered the offseason with just starting catcher Miguel Amaya on their 40-man roster. Their depth/redundancy at positions such as the outfield seemingly makes them a candidate to make noise on the trade market.
CINCINNATI REDS
Free agents: David Buchanan, RHP; Buck Farmer, RHP; Jakob Junis, RHP; Luke Maile, C; Nick Martinez, RHP; Amed Rosario, INF/OF; Brent Suter, LHP; Justin Wilson, LHP.
Hot stove outlook: By all accounts, the Reds aggressively pursued pitching last year on the free-agent market. That included coming up short in the Sonny Gray sweepstakes. They also signed several veterans on short-term or minor-league deals such as catcher Austin Wynns, first baseman Mike Ford, second baseman Josh Harrison, starting pitcher Frankie Montas and relief pitchers Buck Farmer, Emilio Pagan, Justin Wilson and Brent Suter.
It won't be surprising if the Reds again opt for short-term, low-risk veteran deals to fill in gaps and provide depth. Their willingness to go after Gray last offseason doesn't necessarily forecast how they'll approach the market this winter. They're one of the teams that took a revenue hit due to Diamond Sports filing for bankruptcy. Diamond and the Reds subsequently ended their broadcast agreement. They've also extended the qualifying offer to pitcher Nick Martinez. If he accepts, they'll pay him a $21.05 million salary in 2025.
The Reds could be in the market for a mid-level free agent to slot in at first base. However, they also have an abundance of infield options with Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Santiago Espinal, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario all figuring into the mix. One of those infielders could move to first base.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Free agents: Willy Adames, SS; Wade Miley, LHP; Frankie Montas, RHP; Colin Rea, RHP; Joe Ross, RHP; Gary Sánchez, C.
Hot stove outlook: With shortstop Adames on the market and in line for a lucrative long-term deal after a season that included 32 home runs, 112 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, the Brewers can be flexible with who they chose to go after as far as free-agent infield options.
Joey Ortiz settled in at third base last season as a rookie, but he played more games at shortstop in the minors than any other position. Likewise, Brice Turang played primarily at shortstop in the minors before he became a Gold Glove-winning second baseman and the NL's Platinum Glove winner this year.
The ability to potentially move Ortiz and/or Turang around the infield creates options for the Brewers. They could seamlessly add a power-hitting first baseman or third baseman into the lineup in an effort to make up for some of the production lost with Adames' departure. Intriguing first base/designated hitter options include Christian Walker, Anthony Rizzo, J.D. Martinez, Justin Turner, Carlos Santana and Goldschmidt.
While Brewers starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Collin Rea are both free agents, they have multiple options returning after they used 17 different starters and still won the division crown in 2024. That doesn't even include Brandon Woodruff, who did not pitch this past season following shoulder surgery. The Brewers also traded Corbin Burnes before he reached free agency, so they may not be inclined to chase front-line free agent starters.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Free agents: Jalen Beeks, LHP; Ryan Borucki, LHP; Aroldis Chapman, LHP; Marco Gonzales, LHP; Yasmani Grandal, C; Andrew McCutchen, OF; Michael A. Taylor, OF.
Hot stove outlook: The Pirates aren't currently tied to many players on multi-year major-league deals. They signed third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to an eight-year extension in 2022, and they inked an eight-year extension with outfielder Bryan Reynolds in 2023. Those deals bought out the remaining pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible years for both players. Starting pitcher Mitch Keller is signed through 2029. Infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa becomes a free agent next winter.
So the vast majority of the roster, as it currently stands, consists of young players short on experience and with relatively low salaries. In theory, they sit in a good position to make a splash with an impact free-agent addition either to bolster their lineup or to pair with pitching phenom Paul Skenes and Keller in the rotation.
However, several of the Pirates top prospects are in the upper levels of the minors. The fact that they've had a sizeable contingent of veterans on short-term deals in recent years lends itself to the assumption that they've been biding time for those prospects to fill those spots in the majors. General manager Ben Cherington's comments to reporters after the season indicated a desire to rely on their farm system as opposed to free agency.
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