The New York Yankees are preparing for the 2026 season with the addition of veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who has agreed to a one-year contract worth $4 million, along with up to $2 million in performance-based incentives. The agreement has not been officially announced by the team, but manager Aaron Boone discussed Goldschmidt’s return during an interview on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio.
Boone acknowledged that bringing back Goldschmidt adds complexity to the roster decisions, particularly with Ben Rice expected to see increased playing time in his second full Major League season. “It complicates it there a little bit,” Boone said. “But to finish off our roster with a really good player, we felt like we had to do it.”
Goldschmidt, now 38 years old and a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, was effective against left-handed pitchers last season. He posted a .336 batting average with a .411 on-base percentage and .570 slugging percentage in those matchups. His .981 OPS against left-handers ranked sixth in Major League Baseball. Overall, he hit .274/.328/.403 with 31 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBIs across 146 games.
Boone indicated that Goldschmidt will likely get most of his starts at first base when facing left-handed pitching and could also be used as a late-inning defensive replacement. “With as left-handed as we are, [we wanted] to get another guy that really is still at this point in his career wearing out left-handed pitching,” Boone explained. “And the defensive capability and the person in the room — this is the best person I’ve ever managed. He’s such an amazing, amazing guy.”
Prior to re-signing Goldschmidt, the Yankees were considering other right-handed hitters such as Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater for outfield roles, as well as infielder Ty France. “To get [Goldschmidt] back wasn’t necessarily the perfect fit. You’d probably want the right-handed outfielder with more versatility,” Boone said. “But inevitably, things happen over the course of a spring, over the course of a season. Having the better player, especially a guy who’s performed here and been a part of this culture, it was a really good day for us.”
The Yankees had planned for Amed Rosario to gain experience at first base during spring training; however, his role may shift primarily toward emergency situations following Goldschmidt’s return.
Ben Rice played 138 games last season while splitting time between first base (50 games) and catcher (36 games), finishing with a .255 batting average alongside 28 doubles, 26 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Rice is expected to continue working on his catching skills through bullpen sessions and defensive drills this spring. Boone described him more as an option behind primary catchers Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra but noted that plans could change due to Goldschmidt’s presence: when facing strong left-handed pitching opponents, Goldschmidt might start at first base while Rice catches.
“I don’t anticipate it affecting Rice because we think Rice is a star,” Boone stated. “We think he’s going to mash in the middle of the lineup for a long time.”
