To no one's surprise, the Cardinals aren't extending a qualifying offer to free agents

Before the 2024 season, it was a foregone conclusion that if Paul Goldschmidt reached free agency, the St. Louis Cardinals would extend him a qualifying offer.

Well, free agency has begun and the Cardinals have done nothing of the sort. And that shouldn't surprise anyone.

Goldschmidt joined Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, Matt Carpenter, Keynan Middleton and Andrew Kittredge as free agents tonight, and while there was never any doubt that the final five didn't receive qualifying offers, Goldschmidt's pedigree as a player has long been apparent this reality. But his struggles during the 2024 season dashed those hopes.

If the Cardinals had extended a qualifying offer to one of their free agents, that player would have had until November 19th at 4 p.m. EST to accept or reject that one-year, $21.05 million offer, which is the average of the top 125 Salary equivalent to MLB. It is rare for a player to accept the qualifying offer as it is most often given to players who are likely to reject it. If a team signed that player, the Cardinals would have received a draft pick as compensation for the loss of that player.

While 13 players received qualifying offers leaguewide this year, Goldschmidt's .245/.302/.414 slash line as of 2024 all but ensured he wouldn't join that mix. Goldschmidt finished right around league average with a WRC+ of 100 and was actually worse over longer stretches, but saw a slight rebound in his overall numbers over the course of the season thanks to some fortuitous streaks.

The Cardinals have not ruled out a reunion with Goldschmidt, but he is widely expected to play elsewhere in 2025. Not only are the Cardinals cutting payroll and trying to prioritize playing time for young talent in 2025, but Goldschmidt himself will likely want to compete with a true contender. Still, there are scenarios in which Goldschmidt could return.

For now, Goldschmidt and the Cardinals' other five free agents can negotiate with teams across the league on a qualifying offer with no strings attached. The Cardinals are unlikely to be too active in free agency this offseason and have already publicly stated that they will not pursue any player who has a qualifying offer attached.