(AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the St. Louis Cardinals and slugging first baseman Paul Goldschmidt are nearing completion of a $130 million, five-year deal that would make him the highest-paid player in club history.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Goldschmidt must still pass a physical, which was expected to take place Friday.
An announcement could come Saturday.
The Athletic was first to report that a deal was close.
The Cardinals acquired the 31-year-old Goldschmidt in a trade with Arizona, a move that club president John Mozeliak hoped would put the club over the top.
Goldschmidt had just one year left on his contract, though, and his new deal would keep him with St. Louis through 2024.
Mozeliak acknowledged to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that “we are working toward something,” but club officials otherwise declined to comment on Goldschmidt’s contract.
