Yankees Linked to $15 Million Future Hall of Famer as Rizzo Replacement

There are multiple first basemen on the market for the New York Yankees to pursue after declining Anthony Rizzo’s club option. The two top names are Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, but with their potential price being high, the Yankees might go a different route.

Paul Goldschmidt, a future Hall of Famer, could be the cheapest solution. He had a down campaign, but his career 62.8 WAR, 362 home runs, and 2,056 hits show the type of player he’s been.

Tim Britton of The Athletic pitched the idea of the Yankees replacing Rizzo with Goldschmidt, naming them a potential fit. He also predicted his contract would be just $15 million for one year.

“For the first time in his career, Paul Goldschmidt was classified as a below-average hitter, after posting career-worst numbers across the board. Just two seasons removed from a 177 OPS+ MVP campaign, Goldschmidt had a 98 OPS+ over 154 games,” Britton wrote on November 7. “At 37 years old, he can still hit the ball plenty hard, but his once-excellent strike-zone control has deteriorated, with his strikeout rate jumping and walk rate plummeting.

“That’s typically a very bad sign for a late-30s slugger, but the seven-time All-Star continued to feast on lefties and the Hall of Fame-caliber résumé should convince some contenders to pursue a bounce-back bet with a relatively modest one-year deal.”

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Addressing First Base Remains a ‘Concern’ for Yankees

Rizzo didn’t play well over the last two seasons, posting an OPS+ of 88, which led to the New York Yankees declining his option.

While they got by with him and others at the position, making the World Series, it’s an area that has to be improved. Goldschmidt also struggled, posting a 98 OPS+ in 2024, but he’s one year removed from a 25 home run and 125 OPS+ season.

Whatever direction the Yankees decide to go, it has to be calculated, as they need more production out of a power position.

Before they declined Rizzo’s club option, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic viewed it as one of the Yankees’ biggest areas for improvement this winter. That need became even bigger after they allowed Rizzo to walk.

“First base is an area of concern, as the Yankees’ collective .619 OPS at the position ranked last in the league,” Kirschner wrote on November 4. “Retaining Anthony Rizzo as the starting first baseman would be a misstep, and Ben Rice didn’t demonstrate enough to earn the job either. The Yankees must seek an upgrade at first base through free agency or trade.”

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Could the Yankees Fall Into the Same Situation With Goldschmidt?

There would rightfully be some concerns about Goldschmidt playing poorly for the New York Yankees. He recently turned 37 and is coming off the worst season of his career.

However, if the Yankees want to save money, Walker and Alonso might not be realistic targets. Goldschmidt could get the opportunity and run with it, as he won an MVP in 2022.

There are some risks involved, but he understood he didn’t play well last year and sounds ready to figure things out moving forward, which is all the Yankees could ask for.

“This is probably the worst I’ve performed on the field in my career,” Goldschmidt told The Athletic’s Katie Woo in September. “That was disappointing, a good bit of that burden was on me. If I could’ve played how I believe I’m capable of playing, we could’ve won more games and maybe this might have turned out differently.”

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