In 2025, the New York Yankees have agreed to terms with Paul Goldschmidt, 37, to fill their corner infield spot with experience. Goldschmidt joins the organization after six seasons with the Cardinals, who elected to let go of the former MVP in lieu of an internal retool. As his offensive numbers decrease, Goldschmidt hopes to comeback and finish his career as a top first baseman in the MLB.
New York Yankees Reach Agreement with Paul Goldschmidt
After eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was a near-perennial All-Star, Goldschmidt was traded to the Cardinals in a blockbuster deal in 2019. Two years later, the Cardinals acquired superstar Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies, hoping to create the league’s most explosive corner infield combo.
While the Cardinals advanced to the NLCS in Goldschmidt’s rookie year, they have yet to win a postseason game since Arenado’s signing and have missed the playoffs the previous two years.
Goldschmidt signed a five-year, $130 million contract extension with the Cardinals in 2020.
His time in St. Louis peaked in 2022, when he won National League MVP and slashed.317/.578/.404. He also had 7.7 bWAR that season, with 35 home runs and 115 RBI.
However, while Goldschmidt’s defense has been consistent, his offensive has deteriorated dramatically in the two seasons since his outstanding season. While a strong August helped his numbers, Goldschmidt’s.245/.414/.302 in 2024 was still low. His 65 RBI were the fewest in a complete season of his career, and his BA and OBP were far below his career averages.
While his late-season rebound may give the Yankees confidence that Goldschmidt still has gas in the tank, it is evident that he is one of the secondary possibilities on the first-baseman market, trailing only New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso.
