Paul Goldschmidt’s time with the St. Louis Cardinals might be nearing its end, and it seems the Milwaukee Brewers have taken notice.

While Goldschmidt has had an undeniably stellar career, there’s no hiding that this season hasn’t been his finest hour. After a solid six-year run with the Cardinals, the 14-year veteran and MVP contender looks set to hit free agency.

But let’s face it—this season was a real head-scratcher for him.

Once a beacon of consistent excellence who snagged an MVP award in 2022, Goldschmidt’s numbers have dipped in a way that makes even die-hard fans wince.

This year, his struggles were palpable; despite logging in 33 doubles, 22 home runs, and 65 RBIs, his OPS+ fell to 98—marking the first time in his celebrated career that he’s been below league average in that category.

In fairness to Goldschmidt, there were some glimmers of his former self as the season progressed. He managed to rev up his first-half OPS from .664 to .799 in the latter part, and he nudged his batting average up by over 40 points.

By the time August rolled around, he was hitting a respectable .272, followed by .275 in September/October. Yet, the overarching narrative remains—a significant decline for someone of his caliber.

Enter the Milwaukee Brewers and their rumored interest in Goldschmidt. It’s a curious case, as Goldschmidt’s waning performance should logically dissuade teams looking for immediate impact players.

Yet, according to Bob Nightengale from USA Today, the Brewers seem to think there’s still fuel in Goldy’s tank. That’s an intriguing stance, especially considering some of Goldschmidt’s shaky stats this season.

Complicating matters is the fate of Rhys Hoskins, who’s expected to return to his first base/designated hitter role next season due to an $18 million player option he’s likely to accept. After a less-than-stellar return from injury last year, he’s not likely to venture into free agency again soon. This makes fitting both Hoskins and Goldschmidt onto one roster a bit like trying to piece together a mismatched puzzle.

We’ve seen the Brewers juggle similar scenarios before, like when they rostered both Rowdy Tellez and Daniel Vogelbach. While it’s theoretically possible to platoon one as a designated hitter while the other plays first base, it doesn’t exactly scream versatility or promise. And both players need to bounce back from recent slumps.

If the Brewers do decide to shake things up—maybe offloading Hoskins and bringing Goldschmidt on board with a budget-friendly, prove-it deal—then we could be talking. Until then, this hypothetical match-up feels more like a lineup conundrum than a slam dunk.

It’s one of those off-season sagas that could either fizzle out quietly or surprise us all. Only time will tell.