The Yankees really are running it back.
Add Paul Goldschmidt to the list of returning players to The Bronx after the team agreed to a one-year deal with the veteran first baseman, sources told noti.group’s Joel Sherman.
Goldschmidt allows the Yankees to retain a right-handed bat who can fill in for lefty-swinging Ben Rice, who is expected to be the primary first baseman this season.
Goldschmidt came to the Yankees last offseason and got off to a good start before he fell off in the second half.
The 2022 NL MVP remains solid defensively and gives the Yankees some much-needed balance in an infield that skews lefty, with Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon all hitting from the left side, along with catcher Austin Wells and outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham.
Goldschmidt also should be a valuable mentor to Rice, who is still learning how to play first base after coming up through the Yankees system primarily as a catcher.
Although the 38-year-old Goldschmidt’s performance fell off in the second half, he still ended the season with an OPS of .981 against left-handed pitching. He can also serve as a defensive replacement for Rice.
Goldschmidt was highly respected in the clubhouse and expressed a desire to return after the Yankees were knocked out of the playoffs.
The seven-time All-Star rejoins a team that will look very similar to last year, as the Yankees biggest moves of the offseason have been bringing back Grisham on a qualifying offer worth just north of $22 million and re-signing Bellinger on a five-year, $162 million deal.
The Yankees will hope the continued development of young players like Rice and Wells, along with the return of Gerrit Cole from Tommy John surgery by midseason and a full season of their acquisitions from last year’s trade deadline, will put them in position to at least get back to the postseason.
— Additional reporting by Jon Heyman
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
