After winning just 71 games in 2023, St. Louis had a lot of gaps in their squad going into the offseason. The Cardinals have added several relievers and three starting pitchers, effectively filling up their roster.

The Cardinals are probably done with major additions, though they might wind up signing another reliever. Superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt’s future is currently the biggest uncertainty facing St. Louis.

At the conclusion of the 2024 season, the 36-year-old will be a free agent. Both parties have expressed interest in a settlement, and there have been rumors that a contract extension is imminent. Despite this, it appears unlikely that St. Louis will reach an agreement until the 2024 season kicks off, as reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Paul Goldschmidt, whose current deal is about to expire, may not receive a contract extension from the Cardinals until later in the season, according to John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, who made the announcement on Saturday during the winter warm-up. Mozeliak responded, “I believe everybody just wants to see how this season starts,” when asked if the team’s starting first baseman’s contract extension will be a top priority.

It goes without saying that you want to start off on the right foot before we talk about issues like that. Following a 2022 season that ended in Goldschmidt capturing National League MVP honors, the 36-year-old hit.268/.363/.447 with 80 RBIs and 25 home runs.

This is not shocking in the slightest and does not imply that a deal will not be completed, but it does seem unlikely to occur in the offseason. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a deal completed swiftly if St. Louis gets off to a solid start and Goldschmidt gets back to his former self.

A trade might be imminent if Goldschmidt continues to struggle and St. Louis is among the poorest clubs in the National League Central.