Paul Goldschmidt's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Free-agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees agreed on a one-year, $12.5 million deal on Saturday, pending a physical, according to a source. Goldschmidt was also receiving interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, but he'll instead head to the Bronx and replace Anthony Rizzo as the club's regular first baseman in 2025. The 37-year-old right-handed slugger has been an All-Star seven times and was the National League MVP in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but he declined significantly on offense in 2024 with a .245/.302/.414 slash line with a career-worst .716 OPS and 22 home runs in 154 games. Although Goldy was better in the second half, it's concerning that his strikeout rate rose to a career-high 26.5% while his walk rate was at a career-low 7.2%. There could be some juice left, and New York isn't a bad landing spot.

The Detroit Tigers are showing interest in free-agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, according to sources. The 37-year-old veteran right-handed slugger is only two years removed from winning the National League MVP award. However, his offensive prowess dropped considerably in a disappointing 2024 campaign in which he hit 22 home runs with a .716 OPS in 154 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. Because of his rapid decline at the plate, the Cardinals didn't even offer him a one-year qualifying offer, so Detroit wouldn't have to send draft compensation St. Louis' way if the were to sign Goldy. With the Cards looking to get younger in 2025, they aren't expected to pursue re-signing him. A move to Detroit wouldn't be a great landing spot from a fantasy perspective after Goldschmidt posted career-worsts in strikeout rate (26.5%) and walk rate (7.2%).

As expected, the St. Louis Cardinals did not extend a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, according to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. If Goldschmidt signs with another team on the open market this offseason, the Cardinals won't receive draft-pick compensation. The Cardinals reportedly don't have a ton of interest in re-signing him on a lesser deal after a disappointing 2024 campaign. The 37-year-old slugger had a second straight down year after winning National League MVP in 2022. The seven-time All-Star slashed .245/.302/.414 with a career-worst .716 OPS, 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 11 steals and 70 runs scored in 654 plate appearances and 154 games. While Goldy looks to be past his prime, there's still some power in his bat, and he could rebound with a change of scenery.