In a sport where some players cash in multiple times, Paul Goldschmidt did not reach free agency until this winter as a 37-year-old; he came up with Arizona, was traded to St. Louis in Dec. 2018 ahead of the final year of the deal he signed with the D-Backs to buy out arbitration years, and then signed a five-year extension with the Cardinals that spring that carried through the end of this year.
So, there he was, come October, heading into the unknown for the first time – although he kind of had a little bit of an inkling of what was to come.
“I’ve seen so many guys go through it, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew it was a slow process; we didn’t make the playoffs, so I had October, and then into November, and it was all about being patient,” Goldschmidt said Thursday in an intro Zoom call with the New York media. “I didn’t know what to expect or what teams would be interested, I just knew it would be slow."
And then, shortly after the Winter Meetings and the flurry of first base activity around that week, things started coming to a head until Goldschmidt had a decision to make right before Christmas – and the decision was his one-year, $12.5 million deal to come to the Bronx.
“There was definitely a level of comfort, understanding and knowing guys like Stanton, who I played with on Team USA, and Judge, and before he took the job here, Boonie lived in Arizona and he and I lived in the same neighborhood,” Goldschmidt said. “Every baseball fan knows the history – they were winning all those titles when I was a teenager – but I’ve also played with a lot of players in my career who played here, and none of them ever had a bad word to say about the Yankees, the city, or the fan base. So, when the conversations got serious, it just felt right. I was excited they wanted me, and when we got to a point where there was a decision to be made, I was very excited to be a Yankee and be part of the history, and glad it worked out.”
Of course, it helped that the Yankees were the AL Champions in 2024, as Goldschmidt, who has been to the playoffs six times but never a World Series (and only one Championship Series, even), was honest with potential suitors that having a chance to win a ring was one of his top priorities.
“I was honest that that’s probably the top priority as I come toward the end of my career; the expectations in St. Louis, and New York, are to win every year, and every team I was engaged with was in that same boat,” Goldschmidt said. “I’m thankful for my runs in Arizona and St. Louis, and those are some of my best memories. It’s a long road, and you can’t look too far ahead, but the Yankees always have that expectation.”
Goldschmidt spent six years in St. Louis, which is one of the best baseball cities in America, so coming to New York, for him, is just an extension of that – and having been to Citi Field so often, and seeing Yankee Stadium as a Cardinal this past summer, he DOES know what to expect there.
“There’s obviously a ton of energy in the city and I love it, and was always excited about it coming here. The fans are part of the game, and very passionate, which is exciting,” Goldschmidt said. “I always tried to soak up the energy, because over 162 games, some lull you to sleep in the middle, so it was nice to come and have a high-energy game to help step your game up. The fans in St. Louis are similar to Yankees fans – some of the most passionate, with life-long multi-generational fans – and I always felt a responsibility to them to give them my best.”
He’s ‘eternally grateful’ for the fans’ support during his time in St. Louis, but now, looks forward to being cheered in New York, the same way he was in 2013 when he was at Citi Field as a National League All-Star, with a lot of Mets fans cheering on the senior circuit in that game.
“It was disappointing we weren’t able to reach that ultimate goal in St. Louis, but I have so many great memories,” he said. “I’ve seen so many (great atmospheres) – playing in San Francisco as a visitor was fun, because right when I came up was when they won three titles in five years, and I had the Cards-Cubs rivalry, Team USA, all those big games. Being in Yankee Stadium end of August and feeling the energy coming out of the dugout was exciting, and I know the expectation is to win the World Series every year. I’m looking forward to getting ready for Spring Training and getting with the guys and having a great year.”