Brian Cashman’s biggest offseason miss was obviously Juan Soto, but he wasn’t the only ideal target the Yankees lost out on. Another key player who made sense for New York was Christian Walker, who ended up signing a three-year deal with the Houston Astros.
Walker seemed to check all the boxes for the Yankees’ first baseman needs, offering elite power and defense, along with a team-friendly contract. Despite this, the Yankees chose not to outbid the Astros to bring Walker to the Bronx.
Less than 24 hours after missing out on Walker, the Yankees shifted focus and signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal, valued at $12.5 million, according to Jack Curry of YES Network and Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Had this move happened a couple of years ago, it would have been a major headline. Goldschmidt was the NL MVP in 2022 and showed no signs of slowing down. However, his 2023 season was underwhelming, and he had his worst performance in 2024, posting a .245/.302/.414 slash line with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs across 154 games with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 22 home runs were his lowest in a full season (excluding 2020), and his .716 OPS marked a career-low, nearly 100 points lower than his previous worst.
Given his age (37) and declining performance, signing Goldschmidt might not seem like an enticing move, even if he’s a potential future Hall of Famer. However, there are reasons for optimism beyond his base numbers.
For one, Goldschmidt excelled against left-handed pitching, posting an .839 OPS against southpaws in 2024. Additionally, he had a better second half of the season, hitting .271 with a .799 OPS. While not stellar, it showed that he still had some life in his bat.
Moreover, despite his regression, Goldschmidt is still an upgrade over the Yankees’ current first base options. Last season, their first basemen ranked 29th in the majors with a 76 WRC+ and 27th with -1.1 fWAR. In contrast, Goldschmidt, even in a down year, posted a 100 WRC+ and 1.1 fWAR.
There’s hope Goldschmidt can bounce back, especially given his strong finish to the season, his success against lefties, and the potential for a fresh start with a Yankees team that recently appeared in the World Series. The winning environment could reignite flashes of his former MVP form.
While not the move most Yankees fans were hoping for, it’s a low-risk option with the potential for a meaningful reward. Goldschmidt may not be the player he once was, but he’s likely to be better than his 2024 form.
Even if he’s just average, he’s still an upgrade over the production the Yankees got from the position during their World Series run.
