Olney: D-backs, Yankees could fit as trade partners for Goldschmidt
Oct 14, 2018, 5:33 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt follows through on a two-run home run in front of Los Angeles Angels catcher Rene Rivera during during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming off a season in which they finished in third place in their division, two games over .500. It was the sixth time in seven years they missed the playoffs.
General manager Mike Hazen said it is yet to be determined what the team will accomplish this offseason, as he needed to let things play out before they could execute a specific direction. Having free agents in A.J. Pollock and Patrick Corbin (among others) complicates things.
Whether the D-backs go into a full or partial rebuild or compete for a playoff spot again remains to be seen, and reports are circulating that Arizona is at least listening to offers on its top players.
ESPN’s Buster Olney Tweeted Sunday that D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is among the players for which Arizona would at least listen to offers, and added that the New York Yankees could be a good fit.
As has been reported, the D-Backs will listen to offers on their best players, including Paul Goldschmidt. Most contenders are locked in at 1B for 2019; the Cubs have Rizzo, for example. Total speculation: One team that could be a great fit for a Goldschmidt deal — the Yankees.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 14, 2018
The Yankees play in the very competitive AL East division and, despite winning 100 games in 2018, were relegated to playing in a Wild Card Game. They won, advanced to the ALDS and were eliminated by their division rival Boston Red Sox.
They did all of that without a mainstay at first base.
The Yankees have Luke Voit, Greg Bird and Neil Walker on the depth chart at first base. Voit has played just 109 career games at the big league level, including 47 this year in which he hit .322. Bird played his third big league season with the Yankees this year but hit below .200 for the second consecutive season. Walker hit .219 and is often deployed at other positions, appearing in 73 games between the outfield, second and third base this season.
Goldschmidt was signed through 2018 but has a team option for 2019. At an end-of-season press conference, Hazen hinted that the D-backs would exercise Goldschmidt’s option following the conclusion of the World Series.
Goldschmidt was an All-Star for the sixth consecutive season in 2018 and has finished third or better in NL MVP voting three times in five years. In 2018, the 31-year-old hit .290 with 33 home runs and 83 RBI.
