Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals close to completing $130 million deal.
The St. Louis 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 Arizona Diamondbacks.
They also made no secret of their desire to sign The Woodlands product to a long-term deal.
Now, the Cardinals and the 31-year-old Goldschmidt are nearing completion of a $130 million, five-year 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 person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Goldschmidt still must pass a physical, which is mostly a formality.
“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 can count on with him.
“The offense will be there. He lengthens our lineup,” Shildt added, “but what I appreciate about the (trade for him) is the defense that we can expect to get from Paul as well. He’s also got a passion for base running, which is fantastic. He appreciates the nuances of the game. His impact will be real in what we can expect. He’s just a standup guy.”
Goldschmidt is due $15.5 million this season, while his new agreement trumps a $120 million, seven-year deal that the Cardinals gave outfielder Matt Holiday 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.
Cardinals president John Mozeliak acknowledged to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that “we are working toward something,” but officials otherwise declined to comment.
Goldschmidt has been an All-Star each of the past 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, and he has a career .297 batting average and four Silver Slugger awards.