JUPITER, Fla. _ Mr. October called it in March.
Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, while raving to the Post-Dispatch about why the Cardinals' trade for Paul Goldschmidt was the "steal of the century," predicted how this would play out.
"The Cardinals will wrap him up before the year is over," said Jackson, now a special assistant for the Yankees. "He's not going to get to free agency. He's too good."
He didn't even get to the regular season.
So much for all of that concern about if the Cardinals could close the deal, about if Jason Heyward's no-thanks had forever spoiled the team's tried and true method of trading for a pending free agent, then signing him to an extension after he fell in love with St. Louis.
It felt like a legitimate concern, too.
A previous decision to accept an extension as an Arizona Diamondback had likely cost Goldschmidt millions. His ties to the players' union made some wonder if he would take his potential Hall of Fame production to free agency just to make a statement in the increasingly tense back-and-forth between owners and players this offseason. His ties to Houston and the Astros' interest in trading for the perennial All-Star and Gold Glove winner raised questions about if he would rather play for the team he cheered as a child.
Forget about all of that now.
The Cardinals swayed Goldschmidt, and it did not even take the overwhelming emotions of a home opener in St. Louis to accomplish their goal.
"Working toward something," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak offered Thursday afternoon as he walked toward the Roger Dean Stadium parking lot.
Working toward something massive.
Mozeliak's smile said everything.
The Cardinals and Goldschmidt are ironing out the details of a five-year extension worth around $130 million, a source confirmed to Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold.
Spring training statistics don't matter, but this home run alters the trajectory of an organization for years to come.
The Cardinals are contenders, again. They have an elite cornerstone first baseman for years to come, again. The free agent who would have been one of the most desired in the next class just passed on the chance to find the highest bidder because he likes the way this new uniform fits, again.
What year is it?
Anchored at first and in the heart of the lineup is the all-around All-Star the Cardinals do not have in their pipeline in the immediate future. One might be coming, but Goldschmidt is here now, and that one-season what-if that arrived when the Cardinals acquired him in a steal of a trade with the Diamondbacks this offseason was eliminated a week before the season-opener.
And for the fans of frugality, the initial scope of the deal is ... actually less than I imagined it would take to lock up Goldschmidt. Yes, the biggest contract in club history can also be a steal. And for those who will now worry about how 31-year-old Goldschmidt ages, I get it, kind of. But it's five years, not life. And Goldschmidt is not a lumbering, stiff power-only hitter. He's built like an NBA small forward. He's athletic. He runs, plays defense, and most importantly plays every single day. If there's a plus-30 player to bet on, it's a dynamic one who plays a position that is kind on age, like first base. And plus, the designated hitter is coming to the National League. This makes sense for so many reasons.
The only unknown was would the Cardinals pull it off. And they did. It can not be stressed enough. After being turned down by Giancarlo Stanton and passing on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, the Cardinals had to extend Goldschmidt. Mission accomplished.
The Cardinals said they did not trade for Goldschmidt with the expectation they would extend him. But they would not have made the deal if they did not sense they had a fighting chance.
They knew they had to play this carefully. They agreed to let Goldschmidt take the lead. A part of their early plan was to let Goldschmidt experience Opening Day as a Cardinal. The Cardinals wanted him to see what it was like, to feel it for himself.
Spring training in Jupiter was initially supposed to be just an appetizer. A postseason push in St. Louis is the sweetest thing an extension candidate can experience. Why propose before dessert? When you find out the player you know you have to lock up is ready to commit.
The Cardinals won over Goldschmidt during Grapefruit League. It's a win that will resonate for years.
