The St. Louis Cardinals lineup has been awful from the top to the bottom the whole season, and if things don’t get better soon, some big bats might be traded this summer.
Players like Nolan Arenado, Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, and notably Paul Goldschmidt, who were supposed to be launching home runs and collecting hits, haven’t looked like themselves at the plate. Goldschmidt is the player most likely to be dealt by the Cardinals at the deadline, and St. Louis may already have a replacement for him among all the candidates listed above.
Luken Baker of Triple-A Memphis is playing well in the minor leagues once again, and he might be positioning himself to replace Goldschmidt at first base should a trade occur.
Baker is at bat right now.216 in 125 at-bats this season for Triple-A Memphis, with 16 extra-base hits (nine home runs, 32 RBIs), and a.803 OPS. The.261 career hitter’s average has dropped, but so far, he has caused damage, which is the responsibility of a first baseman. The 27-year-old first baseman’s 2024 stats are superior to those of seven-time All-Star Goldschmidt. With just four home runs and fifteen RBIs, the 36-year-old veteran’s slash line is a dismal.206/.291/.300. Should Baker’s current trajectory continue, he will have two successful seasons at the plate. The youthful slugger dominated 84 games for Triple-A Memphis last season, launching 33 home runs with 98 RBIs and amassing an incredible 1.159 OPS.
It may be time for the Cardinals to move on and consider the future because Goldschmidt will become a free agency at the end of this season and is getting older and appears to be slowing down.
While it will be difficult to say goodbye to Goldy, it might be better for the organization’s future to start planning ahead and invest in younger talent, particularly the farm system’s stars.
