The New York Yankees have been searching for more right-handed bats to add to their bench, and on Friday, they agreed to reunite with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN first reported the news.
At this stage of his career, Goldschmidt profiles as more of a platoon first baseman. For the Yankees in 2025, Goldschmidt posted a 169 wRC+ against left-handers, which ranked in the top 10 among all qualified hitters. But against righties, Goldschmidt had a 74 wRC+, placing him in the bottom 30. His struggles against righties are now well-documented for consecutive seasons. He also took a step back defensively in 2025, finishing with minus-3 Outs Above Average.
Goldschmidt, 38, changed his hitting approach this past season, becoming more of a contact-oriented hitter. He hit 10 home runs in 146 games; only Miami’s Eric Wagaman and San Diego’s Luis Arraez had fewer as primary first basemen. Goldschmidt’s change in approach was prompted by a career-worst 2024 season in which he had a 100 wRC+ for the St. Louis Cardinals. He did not fare much better in 2025, logging a 103 wRC+.
As the season progressed, Goldschmidt lost playing time to Ben Rice, who emerged as one of the best hitters in MLB. Rice benefited behind the scenes from Goldschmidt’s leadership, as the veteran helped the 26-year-old, who was drafted as a catcher, learn the first-base position. Few players are as hailed for their leadership as Goldschmidt.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters at the Winter Meetings in December that Rice could see more at-bats against left-handed pitching this season. Rice finished with a respectable 104 wRC+ and seven home runs in 106 at-bats against lefties in 2025. But with Goldschmidt’s return, that plan could now be sidelined. While Goldschmidt was one of the best hitters in MLB against left-handed pitchers this past season, his OPS from June until the end of the season was only .676. Even with a below-average OPS, there are signs he was better than that, as his expected OPS was .952.
There are, of course, risks in relying on expected outcomes for a player this late in his career, as aging can crater a player’s production quickly (see the Yankees’ version of Josh Donaldson). But if Boone commits to Goldschmidt strictly being a platoon player at this stage of his career, unlike Donaldson, he shouldn’t cause much harm to the lineup.
With Goldschmidt now in the fold, the Yankees’ bench has become interesting. Three of the four potential spots are locked in: Goldschmidt, infielder Amed Rosario and backup catcher J.C. Escarra. Rice could catch, but he’s currently viewed as the third option.
That could leave the final spot between Jasson DomÃnguez and Oswaldo Cabrera. Both DomÃnguez and Cabrera are switch-hitters, and both hit better from the left side of the plate. Cabrera offers significantly more defensive versatility, as he can play almost anywhere on the field. With Anthony Volpe sidelined to begin the season, Cabrera is currently the backup shortstop to José Caballero. That alone could be enough to give him the nod to make the Opening Day roster. DomÃnguez, of course, has the higher ceiling between the two players, but his fit with how the roster is constructed is not clean.
A seven-time All-Star, Goldschmidt is second among active players with 1,232 RBIs, third with 372 home runs and fourth with 2,190 hits. He has compiled 57.3 fWAR over a 15-year career that one day could see him inducted into Cooperstown.
The 2022 National League MVP may no longer be one of the best players in the sport, but if he’s deployed primarily against lefties, the Yankees should benefit.
Re-signing Goldschmidt now means 24 of 26 players from the Yankees’ American League Division Series roster are returning in 2026. The only two players who have departed this offseason are relievers Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. The Yankees’ messaging throughout the offseason has been consistent: They believe running it back with an almost identical roster is a sound strategy.