Diamondbacks move on from last piece of ill-fated Paul Goldschmidt trade

Jul 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) waits at first during the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks are officially the losers of the Paul Goldschmidt trade.

The Diamondbacks announced Sunday that they have designated catcher Carson Kelly for assignment. While a relatively insignificant move in itself, it represents the last piece the Diamondbacks acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2018 Goldschmidt trade.

Now that Arizona #Dbacks catcher Carson Kelly has been designated for assignment, the D-backs have no one left from their Paul Goldschmidt trade with the #Stlcards

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 13, 2023

Arizona traded Goldschmidt to the Cardinals on Dec. 5, 2018, getting Kelly, Luke Weaver, and Andrew Young in return. Young played in 70 MLB games for the Diamondbacks in 2020 and 2021, hitting .205 before being lost in the Rule 5 Draft at the end of the season. Weaver, the supposed prize of the trade, flashed his potential with a 2.94 ERA in 12 starts in 2019, but saw his career derailed by elbow and shoulder injuries. Kelly hit .230 over five seasons with Arizona with little consistent power.

The Diamondbacks did use the competitive balance pick they landed in the trade to draft outfielder Dominic Fletcher, who has been solid since making his MLB debut this season, but that is little solace.

Goldschmidt, meanwhile, has continued to be a star for the Cardinals. He won a Gold Glove for his play at first base in 2021 and earned NL MVP honors last season, consistently delivering 30 home runs.

The Diamondbacks are making progress, though a very promising 2023 season has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks. Their rebuild, however, has progressed without any help from such a major trade.