EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFirst baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees are finalizing a one-year contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Friday.Goldschmidt, 38, returns to the Yankees after hitting .274/.328/.403 in 2025.Goldschmidt began last season as the Yankees' every-day first baseman after signing a one-year, $12 million deal to be part of the recovery plan after the team lost Juan Soto to the Mets.By midseason, however, Goldschmidt was in a platoon role in the second half, with Ben Rice getting the starts against right-handed pitchers.At the end of the season, Goldschmidt's splits were drastic: He batted .336 with seven home runs and a .981 OPS in 168 plate appearances against lefties and .247 with a .619 OPS in 366 plate appearances against righties.Yankees manager Aaron Boone and players constantly praised the seven-time All-Star for his professionalism, leadership and clubhouse presence. Goldschmidt, a six-time top-10 MVP finisher with the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks, helped Rice learn first base in his second major league season after he was drafted as a catcher.The Yankees entered the postseason with the timeshare at first base, but Goldschmidt was moved to a reserve role after Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox. He came off the bench in four of the next five games and didn't start again until Game 4 of the ALDS, when the Yankees were eliminated in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.Goldschmidt, the 2022 National League MVP, arrived in New York following the worst season of his career after recording career lows in batting average (.245), on-base percentage (.302), slugging percentage (.414), and OPS (.716) with the Cardinals in 2024.ESPN's Jorge Castillo contributed to this report.
