Paul Goldschmidt, a former MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals, could be leaving the New York Yankees after just one season with the club.
In a new piece from The Athletic, Jim Bowden details 25 potential MLB free agents this offseason. Not only did Goldschmidt make the list, but Bowden predicts he’ll be leaving New York this winter.
“He’ll likely be leaving the Yankees after one year because Ben Rice appears ready to take over first base full-time in 2026,” he wrote.
Goldschmidt is still having a solid season, batting .276 with 26 doubles and 10 homers after signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the Yankees. Bowden notes that while his bat isn’t what it used to be, Goldschmidt is still an above-average defender at first base and a “strong clubhouse presence." Another team will likely be interested in him this offseason.
Goldschmidt was originally an eighth-round pick in the 2009 Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He exceeded all expectations in Arizona, making six consecutive All-Star teams and earning three Gold Gloves at first base before being traded to St. Louis during the 2018 offseason.
He was a star in St. Louis, where he finally won an MVP award in 2022 after finishing runner-up twice with the Diamondbacks. Throughout his career, he’s been a seven-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner.
Rice, 26, is batting .233/.326/.456 with the Yankees in his second major league season with 17 homers and 38 RBI. He continues to improve at the highest level, setting career highs in nearly every category this year and appearing in more than twice as many games as in his rookie season.