The New York Yankees are running out of room under their holiday tree.
They signed former MVP Paul Goldschmidt Saturday – adding to a roster already bolstered by Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, and Fernando Cruz, among others.
Goldschmidt got a one-year, $12.5 million contract with no strings attached.
A 37-year-old right-handed hitter, Goldschmidt has faded since his MVP season of 2022 but will still be an upgrade over Anthony Rizzo, Ben Rice, DJ LeMahieu, and others who manned the position in the Bronx last year.
Four Gold Gloves
The 6’3″ first baseman has won four Gold Gloves for his defensive play and joins Bellinger, who bats left-handed, as helping to compensate for the departure of Juan Soto, who rode free agency to the other side of town, signing with the Mets.
A free agent for the first time, Goldschmidt broke into the big leagues with Arizona, signed a contract extension with the Diamondbacks, and played for them until 2019, when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The seven-time All-Star won five Silver Sluggers, hitting 362 home runs during a career spent entirely in the National League. He has a lifetime batting average of .289.
His signing should help New York against left-handed pitchers. Goldschmidt batted .295 against lefties last year, when a strong finish (.271 after the All-Star break) preceded his entry into the free-agent marketplace.
With Goldschmidt in pinstripes, Bellinger is virtually certain to play in the outfield for the Yankees. He can handle any of the three spots, including center, where the Yankees were uncomfortable stationing Aaron Judge there in 2024.
Yankees Infield Plans
The signing also indicates that the team’s current plans would have LeMahieu at third and Jazz Chisholm, Jr. at second after the latter spent most of last summer at third base. Another signing is possible too, especially with star third baseman Alex Bregman still unsigned and Nolan Arenado – Goldschmidt’s former teammate in St. Louis – available by trade.
New York had extra money to spend on free agents after Soto rejected their $760 million offer. Fried, the first man acquired by New York, got an eight-year, $218 million pact – a record for a left-handed pitcher.
The Goldschmidt deal apparently ends negotiations between the Yankees and former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who remains unsigned. Christian Walker, another potential signee, went instead to the Houston Astros earlier this week. Also on the market is Carlos Santana.
Goldschmidt took a pay cut to sign with New York. He earned $22 million in St. Louis last summer, according to Roster Resource.
Jack Curry of the Yes Network, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the details of the agreement between the team and Excel Sports Management.
