After winning 94 games last season — enough for a tie with the division rival Toronto Blue Jays for the most in the league— the New York Yankees might feel like they already have their most important pieces in place for a World Series run.
The team’s most significant winter deals so far have been reunions with Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger and the front office might be avoiding splashy new additions by design.
“We’re an aggressive franchise, but while being aggressive, we already have some very large commitments,’’ Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said earlier in the offseason, per Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com. “And the more of those you have, the more… it impacts you in other areas.”
New York Yankees Could Lose Former MVP Infielder Amid Budget Constraints
The Yankees could supplement an area of need like the bullpen with a relatively low-cost signing or in a trade for a prospective player, but the payroll might be tapped out when it comes to an everyday position player or frontline starter.
With more than $30 million owed to Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Bellinger in 2026, Cashman and company might be content to stand pat to start the next campaign. And that would mean moving on from last year’s star first baseman signing Paul Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt joined the Yankees on a one-year, $12.5 million deal last offseason and he seemed poised to replace Anthony Rizzo as the everyday first baseman. He eventually moved into a platoon role with Ben Rice, who now seems ready to take a step up to man first base regardless of who is pitching against him, at least to start the season.
New York Yankees’ Former First Baseman Paul Goldschmidt Wants To Return To MLB
But after ending his latest season with a .274/.328/.403 slash line and a diminished role, Goldschmidt has decided that he’d like to return to Major League Baseball, even if it isn’t with the Yankees.
“Paul Goldschmidt, 38, is preparing to play in 2026 despite not having a contract yet,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported. “Goldschmidt posted a .981 OPS against left-handed pitching for the Yankees last season.”
Another season would mark 16 in the big leagues for Goldschmidt, who has earned seven All-Star nods, five Silver Slugger Awards, four Gold Glove Awards and a Most Valuable Player Award in his storied career. But the 2025 season made it clear that he has lost a step at 38 years old.
Now he seems most likely to find a platoon first base position somewhere outside of the Bronx as he pursues an MLB return.
