The Cardinals acquired first baseman Paul Goldschmidt before the 2019 season. According to reporting from Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Cardinals are moving on from Goldschmidt. His contract is up, and he can become a free agent, signing with a new team that could give him a chance to win a pennant and World Series.

And with the Cardinals entering a rebuilding phase, it makes sense to go with young players, so we'll probably see some new faces at first base for the Cardinals next season.

Before the 2021 season the Cardinals made a stunning trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado, and the Goldy-Arenado infield cornerstones seemed set to lead the Cardinals to greatness. They even finished 1st (Golldy) and 3rd (Arenado) in the 2022 National League MVP balloting. But that was the highlight of their four seasons together from 2021 through 2024.

The Cardinals wasted the Goldschmidt-Arenado years. All in all they played in three postseason games together, didn't hit, and the Cardinals lost all three contests: the wild-card game against the Dodgers in 2021, and then got eliminated in 2022 in a two-game sweep by the Phillies in the wild-card round. Hopes of a World Series title never materialized, and the Goldy-Arenado tandem didn't come through in limited postseason opportunities.