With 12 wins so far this season, the New York Yankees are tied for the lead in the MLB and have soared to first place in the AL East.
Nevertheless, as the squad looks to build on a poor 2023 season and make a deep playoff run again, there will undoubtedly be changes to the roster. First base, where starter Anthony Rizzo has started the season with a.243/.321/.314 slash line in 70 at bats and a.978 fielding percentage, is another position that might be ready for an upgrade.
Regarding that possibility of a trade upgrade, Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly identified the Yankees as one of the best destinations for Paul Goldschmidt, the slugger for the St. Louis Cardinals, who he considers to be among MLB’s “top nine trade targets.”
“The St. Louis Cardinals might like to retain Paul Goldschmidt from a legacy standpoint,” Kelly wrote. On the field, though, the Cardinals are an outdated club that most likely passed its prime. In the event that the Cardinals’ season doesn’t play out as planned, Goldshmidt, who turns 37 in September, could welcome the chance to sign with a World Series contender this summer.
Paul Goldschmidt Could Be the New York Yankees’ Best Option at First Base
With Goldschmidt in the last year of a five-year, $130 million deal extension with the Cardinals, there’s a chance his current team will try to get something in exchange for him before he becomes a free agent and signs a contract elsewhere following the 2024 season.
His track record on the field practically speaks for itself, indicating that if he is available for trade at the deadline, there will be a lot of interested parties. Goldschmidt has played in 14 major league seasons and has career stats of.292/.387/.517. He has been selected seven times for the All-Star team, won four Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, and the National League MVP title in 2022.
Despite having a worse slump than Rizzo to begin the 2024 season—he is slashing.190/.292/.238 in 63 at-bats—his defense is still among the best in the game with a 1.000 fielding percentage. But given that he hit.268/.363/.447 in the previous season and took home an MVP award the year before, it seemed plausible that even at 36, he will find his hitting groove once more.
There Would Probably Be Competition for Paul Goldschmidt in Trade Talks for the New York Yankees
Before free agency, Goldschmidt could be had for a reasonably cheap rental; if the Yankees believe his bat can help their order finish strong this season, it may be the kind of arrangement that draws them in. They are among the select few elite offensive teams in Major League Baseball who could consider him an improvement at first base.
Kelly continued, “It would be interesting to see what his market would be.” “There are a ton of contending teams with star first basemen already, like the Braves, Dodgers, and Phillies,” Kelly continued. “However, considering that Goldschmidt can become a free agent at the end of the season, some contending teams with lower budgets might try to sign him as a rental.”
Even said, the Yankees wouldn’t be the only team vying for Goldschmidt if he does turn into a trade target in the middle of the season.
Kelly wrote, “Goldschmidt would represent a clear upgrade over the veteran first base options of the Yankees (Anthony Rizzo), Rangers (Jared Walsh), and Twins (Carlos Santana).”
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