The Yankees are betting big on Paul Goldschmidt for 2025. Despite losing Juan Soto, they’ve reloaded with Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger as they look to make another World Series run.
Goldschmidt joined New York on a one-year, $12.5 million deal this winter, effectively taking Anthony Rizzo’s spot at first base. The 37-year-old comes to the Bronx after six seasons with the Cardinals, where he formed a close friendship with Nolan Arenado.
There’s no denying Goldschmidt struggled in 2024, hitting just .245 — well below his career standards. But Arenado believes the change of scenery could be exactly what his former teammate needs.
“I think he’s got a lot left,” Arenado told reporters. “Hits a lot of balls to right-center hard, and at Busch they kind of ate him up. I think in New York he’s going to get rewarded more for those.”
That’s a fascinating observation from someone who watched Goldschmidt daily. Yankee Stadium’s dimensions are significantly more forgiving than Busch Stadium’s spacious outfield, particularly in right-center where Goldschmidt tends to drive the ball.
It’s worth remembering that just two seasons ago, Goldschmidt was the NL MVP. Arenado had a front-row seat for that 2022 campaign and clearly believes there’s more in the tank despite last year’s dip in production.
The change isn’t just about the ballpark. Goldschmidt moves from a Cardinals team in rebuild mode to a Yankees squad looking to avenge their World Series loss to the Dodgers. That competitive environment might rejuvenate the veteran slugger.
What makes this signing intriguing is how little risk it carries for the Yankees. At $12.5 million, they’ve acquired a potential bounce-back candidate with an MVP pedigree. If Arenado’s assessment proves correct, Goldschmidt could be one of the offseason’s best values.
The way I see it, Goldschmidt doesn’t need to return to MVP form to make this work. He just needs to take advantage of the shorter porch and provide professional at-bats in a lineup that’s still loaded with talent.
