Arizona’s loss could also spell defeat for Milwaukee and Chicago.
The St. Louis Cardinals took a big swing with the trade for Arizona Diamondbacks star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, but in a division as tight as the NL Central, it could vault the team back into contention after three straight years out of the playoffs.
And none of the players traded away — a package headlined by pitcher Luke Weaver — were essential to the Cards going into the 2019 season. Especially when the deal brought in a six-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, three-time Gold Glove, two-time runner-up for MVP.
“The Cardinals have picked up a potentially transformative talent for 2019. In a division that seems likely to be separated by just a handful of games, a player who’s perennially worth four or five wins can make the difference—and then some,” writes Sports Illustrated. “That doesn’t even touch the value added to the team in flexibility; Matt Carpenter can now move to third base, and Jose Martinez can likely be used as a trade chip.”
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