Getty
Yankees could make surprising decision on Paul Goldschmidt.
The New York Yankees brought back veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to help bolster their roster.
New York signed Goldschmidt to a one-year deal; however, his role with the team will be different than what he had last year. Last season, Goldschmidt was the Yankees’ starting first baseman, but that is unlikely to happen this year, according to insider Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
Instead, Kirschner does expect Ben Rice to get most of the starts at first base, and Goldschmidt to be more of a platoon/bench bat.
“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,” Kirschner wrote. “Rice finished with a respectable 104 wRC+ and seven home runs in 106 at-bats against lefties in 2025. … 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.”
If Goldschmidt is more of a bench player, Yankees fans likely would be more than fine bringing him back. As the former NL MVP is no longer the hitter he once was.
Yankees Running Back Similar Team Despite GM’s Comments
New York has had a relatively quiet offseason, as the Yankees instead focused on bringing back their free agents.
According to Kirschner’s current roster prediction, 24 of the 26 players who were on the Yankees’ ALDS roster will likely be on the Opening Day roster.
“Re-signing Goldschmidt now means 24 of 26 players from the Yankees’ American League Division Series roster are returning in 2026,” Kirschner wrote. “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.”
Yet, after bringing back Bellinger, Cashman disagreed that this is the same team that lost to the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We added weapons at the deadline. All that will serve us well,” Cashman said. “So, I disagree that it’s the same team; there are going to be some differences. The competition is going to be different, too. Some teams got better, and other teams you could argue maybe got worse. Our division is the best in baseball. Long story short, one series make-or-break isn’t going to define what we think our capabilities are.”
Despite running back a similar team, the Yankees have the best odds in the AL to win the World Series.
Goldschmidt Likely to Hit Lefties
With the Yankees likely to use Rice as their starting first baseman, Goldschmidt is likely to play and start against lefties, according to Kirschner.
“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,” Kirschner wrote.
Goldschmidt hit .274 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs last season with the Yankees. Against left-handers, he hit .336 with 8 home runs and 36 RBIs, showing how much better he was against lefties.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
More Heavy on Yankees
Loading more stories