Paul Goldschmidt Not ready to hang up his cleats yet. In an interview with Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the first baseman simply said, “I love playing,” indicating his intention to return for his 16th major league season in 2026.
Goldschmidt, who turns 38 in September, is a seven-time All-Star and one of the best first basemen of his generation. He has a career .288/.378/.504 batting line with a 137 wRC+ and 63.8 bWAR that ranks seventh among all active players. His 372 home runs and 1,232 RBI rank third and second, respectively, among active hitters. Goldschmidt played eight years with the Diamondbacks and excelled, but was traded to the Cardinals before the 2019 season. He continued to excel in St. Louis, posting a .317/.404/578 batting line with 35 homers and 115 RBIs in 151 games during his age-34 season, winning the 2022 NL MVP Award.
Since then, his offensive numbers have declined. After posting a 175 wRC+ in his MVP season, that number dropped to 122 in 2023 and 100 in 2024 — essentially league average. The Cardinals did not re-sign him as a free agent, and he ended up signing a one-year, $12.5MM contract with the Yankees. In 534 plate appearances in 146 games, Goldschmidt batted .274/.328/.403 and again ranked league average with a 103 wRC+. Interestingly, after seeing his power numbers decline over his final two years with the Cardinals, Goldschmidt took a more contact-focused approach at the plate in 2025. He lowered his strikeout rate from 26.5% to 18.7% and made contact on 86.0% of pitches in the strike zone, up from 79.8% in 2024.
The new approach had initial success, with Goldschmidt batting .338 and posting a 148 wRC+ in 232 games as of late May. However, he hit just .143 in 94 games in June. While he recovered to hit .261 from July to the end of the year, that’s pretty good for an 87 wRC+. Goldschmidt gave up more playing time as time went on Ben Riceultimately starting only two of six games in the postseason before the Yankees were eliminated by the Blue Jays. All told, Goldschmidt has a career-low 0.8 fWAR in 2025.
Even though Goldschmidt’s offense has declined, his defense has been solid this year. In 1,029 innings at first base, he had a -1 ERA, tied for ninth among qualified first basemen, and a -3 ERA, which ranked 13th. Statcast rated his production more negatively, giving him a 33% Fielding run value. Of course, defensive metrics are notoriously tricky, and indeed, Goldschmidt’s numbers have fluctuated throughout his career. At the very least, he provides a steadying presence for the Yankees after seeing them perform in the cold corner. Anthony RizzoThe first two seasons were marred by concussions and age-related decline.
All in all, Goldschmidt expects to have a tougher time on the market than he did last offseason. His age will limit him to another one-year contract, and it’s doubtful teams will continue to view him as a starter given his middling offensive prowess right now. First basemen tend to be power hitters, with a combined 109 wRC+ in 2025, and Goldschmidt is valued at 103 wRC+. His increased exposure could lead to some optimism, but it’s also possible he’s simply declining due to age. However, he can succeed in a platoon role. In 168 games against lefties this year, Goldschmidt is hitting .336/.411/.570 with a strikeout rate of just 11.3%, which is good for a 169 wRC+. If a team could minimize his contact with pitchers with the same hand, he might see more consistent success over the course of a season.
As it stands, the free agent class for first basemen is Pete Alonso and Josh Naylorwith names such as Ryan O’Hearn, Louis Alasand Josh Bell Make up the second layer. Alonso is the best option offensively, while O’Hearn is arguably the best defender of the bunch, as he was worth 4 DRS and 6 OAA as a first baseman during the regular season. For those who missed out on Alonso and Naylor, Goldschmidt would represent a reliable platoon and a serviceable defender, so he’ll likely get a one-year deal with less guaranteed money than his contract with the Yankees.
