Here is Cardinals' most difficult decision they will make this winter

The St. Louis Cardinals have not had a very successful 2024 season.

Following the nightmare that was the 2023 season, the Cardinals still remain a sub-.500 team and are quickly falling out of the postseason picture.

In the offseason, they may have some holes to fill and difficult decisions to make, particularly with a slugger who is about to hit free agency.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed this decision is the biggest one the Cardinals are going to have to make this offseason.

"First baseman Paul Goldschmidt has already made it clear he wants to return to the Cardinals this offseason, but amid the worst season of his career, it remains to be seen if the feelings are mutual," Reuter wrote. "Goldschmidt is earning $26 million this year in the final season of a five-year, $130 million deal, and he will likely need to accept a significant pay cut."

The Cardinals already have several internal options that can replace Goldschmidt at first base. They have Alec Burleson, Luken Baker, Brendan Donovan, and Jordan Walker who can all play the position.

They might ultimately be best served moving on from Goldschmidt and replacing him with another free agent bat. The slugger will be 37 in September and has a slash line of .230/.290/.391.

Goldschmidt has been a key member of the Cardinals since his arrival in 2019 and he won the National League MVP Award in 2022. But the slugger has been in decline ever since.

It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals decide to do with the former MVP. His market won't be quite as competitive as other sluggers given his recent drop-off.

More MLB: Cardinals could make major changes in offseason, according to insider