In early December, the Cardinals struck a deal to acquire Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He represents the best trade acquisition the Cardinals have made since at least Jason Heyward prior to the 2015 season, if not Matt Holliday in the middle of the 2009 campaign. There aren’t many combinations of franchise, player, and city that seem as perfect for one another as Goldschmidt in St. Louis, and it’s going to be a fun first- and hopefully not the last- year for it.
In acquiring Goldschmidt, the Cardinals have infused their lineup with a baseball mashing robot whose production can be measured using a calendar.