Yankees and Paul Goldschmidt agree to one-year deal: sources

In the spring of 2023, the reigning MVPs of the American League and National League – Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt – met in a batting cage in Tampa, Florida, with a single goal: What can they learn from each other to do more damage? on opposing pitchers?

Almost two years later, the two are now teammates. The New York Yankees have agreed to terms with Goldschmidt on a one-year, $12.5 million contract, league sources confirmed The athlete. YES Network’s Jack Curry first reported the news.

The 37-year-old Goldschmidt is coming off the worst season of his career. In 2024, he posted a 100 wRC+ in 154 games with the St. Louis Cardinals. Goldschmidt was a league-average hitter, having posted a .664 OPS in his first 92 games, and posted a .664 OPS in his final 62 games of 0.799 back.

“This is probably the worst performance I have done on the field in my career,” Goldschmidt said at the end of the season. “That was disappointing, a lot of that burden fell on me. If I had played the way I thought I was capable, we could have won more games and maybe things would have turned out differently.”

Given the way Goldschmidt finished the season and his batting numbers didn’t completely decline, the Yankees found a one-year deal palatable for the potential future Hall of Fame first baseman.

Entering the season with Goldschmidt as the starting first baseman carries risks. He finished the 2024 season with the worst walk rate of his career and the highest strikeout rate since his rookie season in 2011. His ability to hit fastballs has also declined in consecutive seasons. His two highest whiff rates against fastballs came in 2023 and 2024. He also recorded his lowest slugging percentages against fastballs in 2023 and 2024.

Given his age, the last two seasons could mark the beginning of his decline. His batting average, on-base and slugging percentages were all career lows in 2024. But he fell short of his expected batting-ball metrics, meaning he could potentially be a re-promotion candidate in 2025.

Even if Goldschmidt doesn’t produce a league-high performance like he once did, finishing at league average would be significantly better than what the Yankees received from the position in 2024.

As the year progressed, first base modernization became a pressing need for the Yankees. The team finished the 2024 season with the league’s lowest OPS at first base, posting a dismal .619.

Anthony Rizzo posted a wRC+ of 85, the worst mark among all first basemen with at least 350 plate appearances. Ben Rice’s 71 wRC+ was the fourth-worst of all first baseman with at least 170 plate appearances, while DJ LeMahieu’s 62 wRC+ was the sixth-worst of all first baseman with at least 80 plate appearances. First base is typically one of a team’s most productive offensive positions, but the Yankees got virtually no offensive production there in 2024.

The Yankees also struggled defensively at first base, ranking 18th in both defensive runs saved (DRS) and outs above average (OAA), further highlighting the difficulties at the position.

Since the Yankees declined Rizzo’s $17 million club option early in the offseason, that left only Rice, LeMahieu and utility man Oswaldo Cabrera as in-house options. Rice, who learned first base on the fly, reported disappointing numbers. LeMahieu, once a cornerstone of the lineup, no longer appears to be an everyday player. While Cabrera is valuable for his positional flexibility, he’s not a solution at first base.

Rice’s superficial numbers (.171/.264/.349, seven home runs, 27 percent strikeout rate) were disappointing, but he shouldn’t be written off. His underlying metrics suggest he has the potential to become a good hitter with more playing time. Rice posted an impressive 15.6 percent barrel rate, a lowly 20.6 percent chase rate and an 11.2 percent walk rate — top marks, especially for a player with limited major league experience. Additionally, his BABIP of .186 was the second lowest of all players with at least 170 plate appearances, suggesting that he was unlucky in terms of batted ball results.

Rice showed he could hit the ball hard, and with more consistent opportunities he could prove to be a valuable contributor. Goldschmidt fought against righties in 2024; Perhaps one option would be to have the left-hander bat alongside Goldschmidt at Rice. Goldschmidt had an .865 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2024.

With the Yankees signing Goldschmidt, it’s clear that Cody Bellinger will likely play either left or center field, with Jasson Domínguez the leading candidate for one of the other spots and Aaron Judge moving back to right field.

(Top photo by Goldschmidt: John Fisher/Getty Images)