Goldschmidt, Cards agree to extension

The Cardinals knew that Paul Goldschmidt had one year left on his contract when they acquired the slugging first baseman in an offseason trade with the Diamondbacks.

They also made no secret of their desire to sign him to a long-term deal.

Now, the Cardinals and the 31-year-old Goldschmidt are nearing completion of a five-year, $130 million agreement through the 2024 season that would make him the highest paid player in club history, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Athletic was first to report that a deal was imminent.

“Goldschmidt has that residual value that is measurable and maybe not measurable,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “His impact on other guys in the clubhouse. Obviously, he’s a good player on the field. He’s an established guy in the league.

“We know what we count on with him.”

Goldschmidt is due $14.5 million this season, while his new agreement trumps a seven-year, $120 million deal that the Cardinals gave outfielder Matt Holliday in 2010. It also follows huge free-agent deals given to Bryce Harper by the Phillies and Manny Machado by the Padres, and the 12-year, $426.5 million contract that the Angels gave to Mike Trout on Wednesday.

Goldschmidt has been an All-Star each of the Last six seasons, and he rebounded from a slow start with the Diamondbacks last year to hit .290 with 33 homers and 83 RBIs. It was his fourth year with at least 33 homers, can and he has a career batting average and Silver Slugger awards.

He also plays so solidly at first base, winning three Gold Gloves, that threetime All-Star Matt Carpenter agreed to move to third base full-time to clear the way for him. .297 four

Sale to get extension: The Red Sox and ace Chris Sale agreed to a five-year, $145 million extension through the 2024 season pending a phyiscal, according to reports Friday.

The Athletic first reported that an agreement was in place.

Sale, who will turn 30 on March 30, was in the final season of the five-year contract. The 2017 AL Cy Young Award runner-up and a seven-time All-Star went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 158 innings last season for the World Series champions. He finished fourth in the 2018 AL Cy Young vote.

A’s Olson has surgery: Athletics first baseman Matt Olson underwent surgery on his right hand Friday after getting injured on a foul tip in his final at-bat during Thursday’s 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Mariners in Tokyo.

Olson’s procedure was performed by Dr. Steven Shin at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles. The team said the operation involved a right hamate excision. No timeline for his recovery was provided.

The Gold Glove first baseman played all 162 games last season as the A’s returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Olson hit 29 homers and drove in 85 runs last year in his first full major league season.