St. Louis Cardinals nearing 5-year contract extension with Paul Goldschmidt, sources say

The St. Louis Cardinals have come to terms with All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a contract extension, according to ESPN baseball writer Jeff Passan.

Other sources are reporting that the deal is for five years, but the total values they are reporting vary between $110 million and $130 million.

The Cardinals have not confirmed the signing publicly.

St. Louis acquired Goldschmidt, 31, from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 8 in a trade that included pitcher Luke Weaver and catcher Carson Kelly, both top prospects. He is entering the final year his his current contract and will make $14.5 million.

Goldschmidt is a career .297 hitter who has averaged 31 home runs and 105 RBIs per 162 games. He’s appeared in six consecutive All-Star Games and finished in the top three of National League MVP balloting three times. Last year, he placed sixth after batting .290/.389/.533 with 33 home runs and 83 RBIs.

A three-time Gold Glove winner at first base, he’ll replace Matt Carpenter, who will shift back to third base, and Jose Martinez, who will platoon in right field.

This story was originally published March 21, 2019 at 4:17 PM.