Cubs Rumors: Are the St. Louis Cardinals in on Paul Goldschmidt?
You might not see Cubs rumors connecting Chicago to these two Arizona Diamondbacks stars, but there are big-time implications, regardless.
With a loaded rotation and a franchise cornerstone at first base, you won’t see Cubs rumors connecting Chicago to the Arizona Diamondbacks in trade talks. But if recent reports linking the St. Louis Cardinals to Zack Greinke and Paul Goldschmidt came to life, what would that mean for the Chicago Cubs and the overall balance of power in the National League Central?
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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ firesale this offseason seems to be a ‘go’, and ace Zack Greinke and slugger Paul Goldschmidt could both be on the move.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) reported on Monday that an NL Central rival of the Cubs could be involved:
“Sources say the Cardinals have kicked around internally the idea of acquiring Goldschmidt and Greinke in the same deal, but the likelihood of such a trade occurring is remote, in part because St. Louis is one of the clubs on Greinke’s 15-team no-trade list,” Rosenthal wrote on Monday.
Acquiring either Goldschmidt or Greinke alone would be an impactful move. Thus, it’s safe to say if the Cardinals ultimately picked up both, it would rock the NL Central and immediately shake up the pecking order.
Cubs Rumors: Is it realistic?
Although Rosenthal said the Cardinals have “kicked around” the idea of getting Goldschmidt and Greinke, he also addressed the potential hindrances to acquiring both. First, St. Louis is on Greinke’s no-trade list, which would make it more difficult to deal him there. Also, the Diamondbacks might not be willing to deal the two for anything but a large haul of top prospects.
Still, St. Louis has a good farm system, with plenty of prospects that could get the trade done. It’s just a matter of whether they’ll do it. Presumably, it’d be worth it for these two. So if the Cardinals wanted to get the trade done, there’s little reason to doubt they’d have the resources, money and motivation to do so.
NL Central impact
Goldschmidt alone would make colossal contributions to any team. He was worth over 5.0 wins above replacement the last two seasons and has been named an All-Star in each of the past six seasons. He finished as high as second in MVP voting twice, in 2013 and 2015. He has also proven to be a very durable player, playing in at least 155 games each of the past four seasons.
Greinke has pitched very well the past two seasons with the Diamondbacks. He’s been an All-Star in each of those campaigns and finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2017. With the Kansas City Royals in 2009, he won both the ERA title and the Cy Young Award. Greinke is on the older side at 35 years old, but if he’s healthy, there’s little reason to believe he couldn’t have another great season in 2019.
If Greinke joined the Cardinals’ pitching staff, it could launch their rotation past that of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs’ rotation would still look better on paper, assuming everyone is healthy.
All things considered, Goldschmidt might make the bigger impact of the two. He could easily be considered one of the top 15 players in MLB and is probably still in the prime of his career at 31. The Cardinals’ offense could take a big jump with Goldschmidt on its side.
Cubs Rumors: So who would be division favorites?
Still, do the Cardinals jump the Cubs or the Brewers in the NL Central pecking order if they get Goldschmidt and Greinke? Maybe with a true ace at the helm of their rotation, they’d edge out the Brewers.
But on paper, the Cubs’ lineup has more proven hitters and better defenders than the Cardinals, if they’re all performing up to their potential. And Chicago’s rotation still stands out as the best in the division, barring major setbacks like those that cropped up last year.
The Cubs seem to have a solid hold as the division favorites, though a deal like this one would certainly make it a much closer three-team race. It should be noted, though, that Goldschmidt has just one year left on his contract – so even if St. Louis grabbed the Central, it may not last long.
While it’s unlikely such a massive deal would ever get done, if the Cardinals picked up Greinke and Goldschmidt, it’d be sure to give Cubs fans concerns. Both are proven, impact players who could boost the Cardinals into a sure playoff team. Still, the Cubs remain the favorite in the NL Central—though the gap continues to narrow.