The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to put the ignominy of their uncharacteristically poor 2023 season squarely in the rearview mirror. And retaining first baseman Paul Goldschmidt for the long run should go a long way towards allowing them to bounce back in 2024 with aplomb, age concerns notwithstanding.

Goldschmidt is already 36 years of age, but he remains one of the most elite hitters in the MLB. He is quite the paragon of consistency in the big leagues, which is why keeping him in town will be crucial for the Cardinals. After all, there is only one year left on his contract, and now, to avoid whatever distractions that may come due to the contract issue, the Cardinals are looking to negotiate with the veteran first baseman on a new deal.

At the very least, the Cardinals, according to Derrick Goold of St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “will approach” Paul Goldschmidt and engage with him in contract extension talks with the goal of striking an agreement with him before the season begins. This is good news for Cardinals fans, as the front office doesn't appear to be willing to let these talks drag out and hang over the team like a dark cloud.

However, there may not be an imminent agreement in the works, as Goold wrote that the negotiations may begin closer to Spring Training, which starts on February 22.

The Cardinals prefer to do their extension business before the season starts, which they did in the case of Miles Mikolas, and given Paul Goldschmidt's importance to the ballclub, they dare not to do anything that risks sullying their relationship to the star first baseman. As Derrick Goold pointed out, the Cardinals “do not expect it to be a contentious negotiation”.

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At this point, Goldschmidt may be susceptible to some age-related decline, but the Cardinals know that the 36-year old first baseman doesn't plan to play into his late 40s, so they should find a way to come to terms to a short-term extension that benefits both parties.

Paul Goldschmidt hit 25 home runs and drove in 80 runs in 687 plate appearances in 2023 with a slash line of .268/.363/.447.