Yankees plan to move on from Paul Goldschmidt after one season, with Ben Rice emerging as the long-term answer at first base.

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The New York Yankees could certainly still use Paul Goldschmidt as a utility player and consistent bat in their lineup, but a new team has emerged as a contender to grab him in free agency. That team is the San Diego Padres, who are looking to re-tool on the fly with their ready to win roster.

Goldschmidt is now 38-years-old, and is only commanding a one-year deal on the open market, but at a reasonable ~$7 million. It’s a good price for a guy who hit .274 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 146 games in the 2025 season.

The Padres need a new first baseman as Luis Arraez left in free agency to join the San Francisco Giants. Arraez played 117 games at 1B last season.

And Goldschmidt plays a very similar style to Arraez at this point in his career. He doesn’t have the power he once had, but he’s still a base hit machine who is a smart player in all aspects of the game. It would be effectively an even swap if San Diego were able to sign him.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have Ben Rice, who can presumably be the everyday first baseman with Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra manning the duties behind the plate.

 

Money Implications for Yankees and Padres

The Yankees are already so far above the MLB luxury tax that they’ve incurred the maximum penalties for that infraction. So, signing Goldschmidt wouldn’t do anything to their payroll that hasn’t already been done.

Meanwhile, the Padres payroll currently sits at $259 million, $15 million over the first luxury tax threshold. If they go above $264 million they will incur a 12 percent surcharge on their overages this season. If Goldschmidt is truly a target, he’ll cost likely around $7 million. This means that San Diego would go over that threshold and eat the overage tax.

With that being said, the rest of their roster is complete for the most part, meaning Goldschmidt could be the final piece for this year’s roster. If owner John Seidler signs off on the overages, which he has done before, then there’s no reason why the Padres shouldn’t be all in on signing Goldschmidt, especially if they believe he’ll be a valuable piece for them this season.

 

Yankees Hold Fourth Highest Payroll in MLB

As of Feb. 6, the New York Yankees have the fourth highest payroll in the league at $307 million, only behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($396 million), the New York Mets ($341 million), and the Philadelphia Phillies ($311 million).

In comparison, the Miami Marlins have the lowest payroll in the league at $71 million. Can we please add a salary cap and/or a salary floor?

Either way, the Yankees are one of many teams who is able and willing to buy their way into success, and they showed that again by signing Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162 million dollar deal last month. Even if they don’t necessarily need Goldschmidt this season, they could very easily flex their muscles and re-sign him just to prove a point.

Matt Skillings Matt Skillings is a Boston based sports journalist and a graduate of UMass Amherst, where he majored in journalism and communication. Matt covered the UMass men’s ice hockey team for three years for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. He was also a media intern for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League for two summers. Matt has additional bylines with the New England Hockey Journal, the Boston Globe and MassLive. More about Matt Skillings

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