Yankees' Aging Slugger May be Red Sox Bound

Once again, the Boston Red Sox could covet what once belonged to the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox are aggressively shopping for a power bat in free agency, but have struck out on Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber.

If Boston keeps coming up empty during the offseason, it's possible a former Yankees slugger could be primed for a cameo in Beantown.

Paul Goldschmidt is a free agent after spending one year in the Bronx. The 2025 campaign was an underwhelming one for the 38-year-old. He hit just 10 home runs in 146 games while posting a career-low .403 slugging percentage.

Beantown Bound?

But in Boston, Goldschmidt wouldn't have to carry the burden of being an everyday player. The Red Sox have first baseman Triston Casas coming back from season-ending knee surgery.

The lefty-hitting Casas and right-handed hitting Goldschmidt could pose a formidable first-base platoon for Boston.

Making The Case

"It was only three years ago that Goldschmidt won the NL MVP Award with the Cardinals, the capstone of a career that could end up with a plaque in Cooperstown," MLB.com's Will Leitch writes. "He played two more campaigns in St. Louis before having a serviceable, if unspectacular, season with the Yankees last year (.731 OPS in 146 games)."

In that MVP season, Goldschmidt led the National League in slugging percentage (.578) and OPS (.981) while hitting 35 home runs and driving in 115 runs.

Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) follows through on a single against the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning of game one of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"He’s not the star he once was, but if you’re looking for a one-year fill-in at first base (where he has won four Gold Gloves), particularly if you’re a team that may have missed out on Pete Alonso, you can do a lot worse than Goldschmidt," Leitch concludes.

A Goldschmidt-Casas combo at first for the Red Sox would create significant matchup problems for opposing pitchers.

Rolling With Rice

And it's not like a Goldschmidt-Yankees reunion seems likely. New York seems comfortable moving on with Ben Rice as the club's full-time first baseman.

"(Goldschmidt) wants to play next season, but probably will hunt for a spot where he could get at least semi-regular starts," NJ.com's Randy Miller reports.

"That won’t happen with the Yankees, who are committed to Rice at first when he’s not getting occasional starts at catcher," Miller adds.

The 26-year-old Rice hit 26 home runs in 138 games last season. He was one of seven Yankees with at least 20 home runs in 2025 (Aaron Judge, 53; Trent Grisham, 34; Jazz Chisholm Jr., 31; Cody Bellinger, 29; Giancarlo Stanton, 24; Austin Wells, 21).

Goldschmidt , a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, played last season in the Bronx on a one-year, $12 million contract. But the Yankees started sitting him in the playoffs. In fact, Goldschmidt had 11 plate appearances and nine at-bats in the 2025 postseason. Rice got 21 plate appearances and 18 at-bats.

It's quite clear the Goldschmidt experiment is over in New York. Question is, will it continue in Boston?

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