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(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
On Feb. 6, ESPN reported, citing sources, that the New York Yankees decided to bring back veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year contract.
The seven-time All-Star hit .274/.328/.403 across 146 games last season, showing a stark contrast depending on the pitcher: he posted a .981 OPS in 168 plate appearances against left-handers but just a .619 OPS in 366 plate appearances against right-handers.
Furthermore, Goldschmidt becomes the sixth player the Yankees have brought back from last season’s roster, joining Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Amed Rosario, Ryan Yarbrough, and Paul Blackburn.
On Feb. 9, MLB insider Jon Morosi shared his thoughts on what Goldschmidt’s return to New York means for Ben Rice’s playing time as the 26-year-old enters his third MLB season.
“I would say that Ben Rice still enters spring as the predominant first baseman, especially against right‑handed pitching,” Morosi said on MLB Network. “And yet when you consider what Goldy can do [with his] very robust .731 OPS. Still very good, especially against lefties.
“I would say against pretty much every lefty that you face, if you’re the New York Yankees, Goldy is in the lineup somewhere. Now, of course, that could also be at DH depending on what [Giancarlo] Stanton’s role is on a particular day, and [Aaron] Judge as well.”
Rice had a batting average of .255 with 119 hits, 26 homers, 65 RBIs, and 74 runs scored in 138 games in 2025, per StatMuse. While Goldschmidt is back in the fold, the Yankees clearly want Rice to take the next step and build on last season’s production, as he’s seen as the starting first baseman.
Paul Goldschmidt Provides Major Boost to Yankees Lineup
Moreover, Morosi believes that in a division with Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, having another left-handed bat like Goldschmidt’s is critical.
“You like what the Yankees have put together overall. And if you think about the American League East, you’ll have to deal with Garrett Crochet whenever you would expect in most series against the Boston Red Sox. So very valuable indeed to have Goldy’s bat in there against every lefty and some righties as well.”
New York Have a World Series Contending Team
With Goldschmidt back and several other key contributors from last season returning, MLB Network Radio’s Jeff Joyce believes that despite a quiet offseason, manager Aaron Boone still fields a championship-contending Yankees team as the 2026 season approaches.
“I know that everyone’s down on the Yankees, but going into this season, if [Gerrit] Cole and [Carlos] Rodón come back healthy, they’ve probably got the best rotation they’ve had in a while, as far as postseason potential,” Joyce said in a video posted by MLB Network Radio on Jan. 31.
“Lineup-wise, they feel like they’ve got more pieces around [Aaron] Judge than they’ve had in a while, even though it still feels a little bit short going down. So I will still call them a contending team, a championship-caliber team.
“I’d like to see one bat added, because the left side of the infield doesn’t excite me. But I do feel like the last couple of years have at least been better, and given them a better opportunity than they were doing more in the earlier 2020s, 2021 through 2023.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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