It's Time to Admit Diamondbacks Made Big Mistake on Paul Goldschmidt

The Arizona Diamondbacks were kicking the tires on a reunion with former home-grown star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt this offseason. They ultimately did not sign him, and the 16-year MLB veteran instead opted to return to the New York Yankees on a one-year deal worth just $4 million.

Goldschmidt, at age 38, is having an excellent season for the Yankees. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, have one of the worst offensive outputs in baseball at first base.

Granted, Goldschmidt's 2026 role has been more of a limited, platoon opportunity. No longer is he an everyday first baseman. But the Diamondbacks chose a different first base solution this offseason, and it's become impossible to deny that platoon simply isn't working at this stage.

Paul Goldschmidt excelling in platoon role for Yankees

Jun 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) doubles during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Goldschmidt is hitting .285/.359/.530 this season. He's got nine homers, and has walked 15 times against 31 strikeouts in 170 plate appearances. Considering the fact that he's only played in 44 games this season, it's not as if he's in the race for another MVP award, but he's been as productive as ever against left-handed pitching.

His expected stats back up his success, with xBA (.282) and xSLG (.488) numbers in the top quadrant of MLB. He's played slightly above-average defense, as well.

Against left-handed pitching, Goldschmidt has an unbelievable .397 batting average and 1.276 OPS. That also adds up to a 249 wRC+, which is an incredible 149% above league average.

The Diamondbacks have, admittedly, hit left-handers quite well this season, with a third-best .767 OPS against southpaws.

But if Arizona had added Goldschmidt to the roster this offseason on a relatively affordable deal, it would have — at the very least — improved their output from a devastatingly production-needy area of their roster.

Seriously, the numbers are likely worse than one would imagine.

Diamondbacks have worst first base output in baseball

May 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) singles in the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

There were some hot starts by D-backs first basemen this year. Journeyman Ildemaro Vargas was one of the best hitters in the sport for an entire month, and rookie Jose Fernandez took advantage of his MLB debut in powerful fashion.

Since those players began to cool, the Diamondbacks' first base position has been lifeless. Arizona ranks dead last in MLB in first base OPS (.561). That sounds bad (and it is), but the number looks even worse when noting that the next-worst OPS at that position is held by the New York Mets (.656) — over 100 points higher.

By wRC+ (heading into Saturday), Arizona placed last, as well, at 78 (22% below league average).

It's been a group effort. Carlos Santana, who Arizona brought in this offseason instead of Goldschmidt, was ineffective in his small sample size before landing on the IL with an adductor strain, from which he has yet to return.

Vargas' OPS has plummeted to .733 after surging well past 1.000 during his hot streak. Fernandez is back in Triple-A after it was clear MLB pitching had adjusted to him. Pavin Smith is hitting .103. LuJames Groover is 5-for-22 (.227), and does not have an extra-base hit.

And in the distance, Arizona must watch former stars like Goldschmidt and Christian Walker continue to deliver results. Even the slumping Josh Naylor has been hitting a bit more of late.

There's no obvious solution for the Diamondbacks at first base, barring an unforeseen trade, or a major league surge by Tyler Locklear, who is currently hitting a somewhat-dishonest .302 in Triple-A.

It might have been wise to reunite with Goldschmidt.

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