Paul Goldschmidt trade lamented by Arizona Diamondbacks fans more than 3 years later
On Dec. 5, 2018, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal that was maligned by many at the time.
As Goldschmidt continues his torrid start to the 2022 season, that trade is looking worse for Arizona.
Goldschmidt is hitting .352 for St. Louis this season. He has 11 home runs and 43 RBIs.
He also keeps coming up with timely, bit hits for the Cardinals, who are 28-21 on the season.
But it's not just the numbers Goldschmidt is putting up that makes this trade still sting for Arizona. It's also the lack of production from the players they got in return for the All-Star first baseman.
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VOTE: Did the #Dbacks make the right move trading Paul Goldschmidt in 2018? (Fans lament trade with #STLCards more than 3 years later: https://t.co/ezQoLjMdVB) @azcentral
— azcentral sports (@azcsports) June 1, 2022
Arizona received Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver and Andrew Young in the deal.
Kelly, a catcher, has hit .230 in 268 games in Arizona since the trade. He has 36 home runs and 113 RBIs. He has played in just 20 games this season.
Weaver, a pitcher, has gone 8-18 in 38 games with the Diamondbacks. He has a 4.48 ERA. Weaver has made just one appearance for the Diamondbacks in 2022.
Young had seven home runs and 19 RBIs and a .205 batting average in Arizona in two seasons before being put on waivers by Arizona in 2021.
Goldschmidt's stats in St. Louis? He's hit .289 in with 82 home runs and 260 RBIs since the trade.
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Why Diamondbacks traded Paul Goldschmidt
The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro detailed why the Diamondbacks felt they had to trade Goldschmidt in a story shortly after the trade went down in 2018, writing about how money, Goldschmidt's age and the club's competitive cycle played roles in the decision.
He wrote: "But all indications are that Goldschmidt is not looking to take another team-friendly deal like the one the Diamondbacks gave him early in his career. He is represented by agent Casey Close, who has a reputation for securing massive contracts, and sources indicated that preliminary conversations with Goldschmidt’s camp left the Diamondbacks less than confident they would be able to reach an agreement. Whatever the length and size of the contract, it likely would have been a risky deal for a mid-market club like the Diamondbacks. Not just to fit him into their current payroll structure, but to be able to move forward successfully if Goldschmidt’s production were to dip even slightly in the coming years."
Interestingly, Piecoro ended his analysis with this: "The move almost certainly ranks as the most controversial decision in franchise history. The trade of outfielder Justin Upton in 2013 drew mixed reviews but he wasn’t nearly as beloved as Goldschmidt. Declining outfielder Luis Gonzalez’s option and the decision to let left-hander Randy Johnson depart as a free agent were different given where that they were in the twilight of their careers. Whether, in the final reckoning, it was the right move might not be clear for years. But the Diamondbacks had their reasons for thinking it was — and they went for it, armed with the knowledge it probably wouldn’t be well received."
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Social media laments Diamondbacks' Goldschmidt trade … in 2022
Twitter has had thoughts on the Diamondbacks trade in the wake of Goldschmidt's performance with the Cardinals in 2022 ...
... and they have not been favorable for Arizona.
1B Paul Goldschmidt leads the NL in hits (63) & average (.352). He's in his age-34 season.
The #Dbacks collected Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, Andy Young, and Tommy Henry for Goldschmidt.
Weaver: 38 G in 4 seasons
Kelly: .230 AVG in 4 seasons
Young: Waived
Henry: 4.95 ERA in MiLB— Arizona Diamondbacks - Stats & Info (@DbacksStatsInfo) May 30, 2022
Paul Goldschmidt in his last 15 games (a 15-game hitting streak):
28 hits
12 doubles
5 home runs
22 RBI
Since RBI became an official stat in 1920, no other @MLB player has reached all of those numbers over any 15-game span.
Here's a picture of him in a @Dbacks uniform... pic.twitter.com/L3RH3jxNUi— Joey Artigue (@Joey_Artigue) May 24, 2022
Goldschmidt delivers! He’s All-Star game bound - offensively & defensively. Didn’t he used to play for the @Dbacks? Owner Kendrick could have signed Goldy to a multi year contract for a fair $25M a season. Too cheap to get it done. https://t.co/HdI3dTEYow
— Chris Herstam (@chrisherstam) May 29, 2022
⚾️ Former beloved @Dbacks Paul Goldschmidt is currently in the top 4-7 virtually in every MLB offensive category while playing Gold Glove defense. While the 3 players received in return for trading away Goldy - Carson Kelly is hitting .100 & injured. Weaver/Young have vanished.🤷🏼♂️
— Chris Herstam (@chrisherstam) May 27, 2022
Looking at MLB stats as a DBacks fan thinking...
Damn I miss Goldy
From an article about his 15-game streak...
Goldschmidt is hitting .438 during the streak (28 for 64), and 13 of his last 19 hits have been for extra bases (five home runs and eight doubles).— Justin R. Beaudry (@CornMuscles) May 25, 2022
What Paul Goldschmidt is doing right now is unbelievable.
(Yes, I’m still bitter about that trade). #Dbacks— Brady Martin (@bradyaz911) May 28, 2022
Goldschmidt on a 19 game hitting streak just hit a 3run bomb. Great job @Dbacks
— Gerardo Parra (@G_phx) May 28, 2022
Dbacks are playing fairly well this year and the future is bright, but I sure do miss Paul Goldschmidt.
Hurts even more to see him playing this well 3 years post-trade when the key pieces in return of Luke Weaver and Carson Kelly have contributed very little— AZ Sports & Beyond (@AZSportsBeyond) May 24, 2022
Every time Paul Goldschmidt hits another HR, I am left wondering why in God’s name didn’t the @Dbacks keep him? 🤷🏻♂️
— Alphonse Scribnetti (@ALScribner2) May 29, 2022
Did the Diamondbacks make the right move trading Goldschmidt in 2018?
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks fans still lamenting Paul Goldschmidt trade