The Yankees have officially announced the signing of Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year contract. Client Excel Sports Management is reportedly guaranteed $12.5MM.
Don’t worry explains The Yankees’ pursuit of Goldschmidt this week has been as aggressive, though he is notes they were also talking Christian Walker before he signed with the Astros. Carlos Santana was another New York first baseman reportedly considered. The Yankees were also linked Pete Alonso early in the season, though Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic they reported that they were “more likely” to choose the least expensive first signing.
Indeed, Goldschmidt’s $12.5MM salary is significantly less than the three-year, $60MM guarantee Walker received from Houston and the five-year, $125MM deal MLBTR projected for Alonso. And it’s less than the one-year, $15MM deal that Goldschmidt predicted when we ranked him at no. 35 on our list of 50 free agents.
Goldschmidt, 37, was a free agent for the first time in his career. Drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2009, he made his major league debut with Arizona in 2011. After a strong start to his MLB career, he signed an extension with the D-backs that kept him under team control through the 2019 season. After being traded to the Cardinals in 2019, he signed another extension that ran through 2024. In those years with Arizona and St. Louis, Goldschmidt was one of the best players in baseball. He made seven All-Star teams, won five Silver Sluggers, and earned NL MVP honors in 2022. Over 1928 career games, he slashed .289/.381/.510 with 362 home runs and a 139 wRC+.
Since his MVP season in 2022, Goldschmidt has taken a few steps back. His .810 OPS and 122 wRC+ in 2023 were better than good, while his .716 OPS and 100 wRC+ in 2024 were just league average. That’s not an encouraging trend for a starting midfielder entering his thirties. However, Goldschmidt’s base numbers in 2024 offer more promise. His .308 batting average on balls in play was well below his .343 career average. Likewise, his .310 wOBA was worse than his .329 xwOBA. A .329 wOBA would still be the worst of his career, but it would also be significantly better than league average. Ultimately, Goldschmidt’s performance in the second half was much better than his first half effort. By the All-Star break, he was slashing .230/.291/.373 with an 87 wRC+. Since the break, he’s hit .271/.319/.480 with a 120 wRC+.
The Yankees are hoping Goldschmidt looks like his second-half self throughout the 2025 season. However, even his average full-season numbers would be a huge improvement over what the Yankees got from their first baseman in 2024. Yankees first basemen ranked last in MLB in OPS (.619), second to last in wRC+ (76), and 26th in FanGraphs WAR (-1.1). If Goldschmidt can repeat his 2024 campaign, the Yankees could get a big boost in the mix Anthony Rizzo, Ben Riceagain DJ LeMahieu. That will be especially true if you play on the left. Goldschmidt slashed .295/.366/.473 with a 134 wRC+ against lefties this past season. At the time, New York’s case was worse against the left than the right. Goldschmidt should be a big help in that department.
On the defensive side, Goldschmidt, a four-time Golden Glove winner, will undoubtedly play first base for the Yankees. That will suppress recent commercial acquisitions Cody Bellinger in an outside area. It always seemed like Bellinger would play the field in New York, but manager Aaron Boone suggested earlier this week that first base was still an option. It’s safe to say that option is now off the table.
If the Yankees still want to add another bat, third base could be the next option they turn to for improvement. Jazz Chisholm Jr. he took over at the hot corner after the 2024 trade deadline, but second base is his natural position. By sliding back to second, he could give the Yankees more flexibility to look for improvements in the infield. Other interesting options at third base include free agents Alex Bregman and commercial candidate Nolan Arenado. The Yankees have already expressed interest in both players.
Adding Bregman or Arenado could push the team’s salary over last year’s final cap hit of $303MM (per RosterResource). It would put them above the top luxury tax bracket as well. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Yankees take on such a high salary in 2025, it’s good to remember that This is Steinbrenner’s place have spending limits. Chairman Hal Steinbrenner said earlier this year that the team’s current payroll is “financially unsustainable.” The fact that the Yankees were depleted Juan Soto and that they wanted an inexpensive first baseman like Goldschmidt also suggests that GM Brian Cashman is working under salary constraints. Those problems could affect the way the team works until the end of the season.
Jack Curry of the YES Network first reported that the Yankees and Goldschmidt have agreed to a one-year contract. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first in the salary.
Image courtesy of Imagn.
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