Yankees sign veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to one-year deal: report

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Dec 21, 2024

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — The Yankees found their first baseman.

Paul Goldschmidt has agreed to a one-year contract with the club, YES Network’s Jack Curry reported Saturday, adding another former MVP to the Yankees’ new-look lineup.

The deal is for $12.5 million, according to reports.

Goldschmidt, 37, hit .245 with 22 home runs, 65 RBIs and a .716 OPS last season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-handed hitter is two years removed from a 2022 National League MVP campaign in which he batted .317 with 35 homers, 115 RBIs and an NL-best .982 OPS.

Adding Goldschmidt allows the Yankees to play another new acquisition, Cody Bellinger, in center field or left field next season.

Goldschmidt is a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, while Bellinger is an above-average defender in the outfield.

A seven-time All-Star selection, Goldschmidt is a career .289 hitter and boasts 362 home runs over 14 MLB seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cardinals.

He replaces Anthony Rizzo, who repeatedly battled injuries the past two seasons as the Yankees’ starting first baseman. Rizzo, 35, remains a free agent.

Ben Rice, a converted catcher and left-handed hitter, batted .171 with seven home runs as a rookie fill-in for Rizzo last season.

Goldschmidt is set to become the fourth former MVP on the Yankees’ roster, joining Bellinger, who won the NL honor in 2019; Giancarlo Stanton, who won it in 2017; and Aaron Judge, who won American League MVP in 2022 and 2024.

The Yankees remain active after losing superstar slugger Juan Soto in free agency to the Mets.

They signed left-handed ace Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract and swung trades for Bellinger and for closer Devin Williams.

On Friday night, they traded backup catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.

Their addition of Goldschmidt came a day after the Houston Astros agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with first baseman Christian Walker, who had been considered a Yankees target.

With Goldschmidt at first base and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, the Yankees still have at least one hole in the infield. Jazz Chisholm remains on the roster and is capable of playing second or third.

Last year’s primary second baseman, Gleyber Torres, is a free agent.