If the Arizona Diamondbacks are indeed serious with their desire to trade first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, which was reported over the weekend, the New York Yankees have a golden opportunity to fill a position of need with an established star.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on Sunday that rival evaluators believe that trading away the 31-year-old is the team’s intention this winter, a move that will be just a part of a total rebuild that could include the departures of top pitchers Patrick Corbin (via free agency) and Zack Greinke.
While Goldschmidt’s feats have been somewhat overlooked due to his standing as the best offensive player for a small-market franchise like the Diamondbacks out West, his availability on the trade market is going to force plenty of teams with needs at first base to call up Arizona general manager Mike Hazen.
Goldschmidt has finished in the top three of the National League’s MVP voting three times in the past six years, averaging exactly 30 home runs and 100 RBI per season during that stretch.
The Yankees do have the assets to offer a strong return to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Goldschmidt but one of their most appealing pieces, top left-handed pitching prospect Justus Sheffield, was traded to the Seattle Mariners earlier this month in the James Paxton deal. Olney noted that Sheffield was the main piece in an original trade proposed to the Diamondbacks by the Yankees for Goldschmidt earlier this offseason.
Instead, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has an opportunity to offer up a portion of his current first-base scenario.
Greg Bird, who was tabbed by many to be the team’s first baseman of the future, has experienced a litany of injuries and slumps that has all but written him off in New York. Most of it revolves around his batting average, posting a measly .214 mark in 176 career games. What is promising, however, is his 162-game average of 29 home runs and 89 RBI, providing hope that the 26-year-old could develop into a more consistent power hitter.
Should the Diamondbacks feel Bird can’t be salvaged, the Yankees could use Luke Voit’s red-hot second half of the 2018 season to their advantage. After bouncing between the majors and minors with the St. Louis Cardinals, Voit was acquired by New York in August and exploded for 14 home runs and 33 RBI in 39 games.
Obviously, the Yankees would have to sweeten the deal far more than just one of those first basemen even though Goldschmidt is only signed through the 2019 season. That could mean the inclusion of outfielder Estevan Florial, New York’s top prospect and 45th-overall talent in the minors, per MLB Pipeline.
With the expected losses of Corbin and Greinke, the Yankees might also have to include one of their top pitching prospects, which they have plenty of. Out of the organization’s top-12 youngsters, 10 of them are pitchers.
