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With Paul Goldschmidt set to test free agency after a short stint with the New York Yankees, the team could look to trade for another veteran first baseman this offseason.
Goldschmidt served as the Yankees’ primary first baseman for most of the season, but was sparingly used during the postseason in favor of 26-year-old Ben Rice. Though the Yankees will likely play Rice at first base next season, they could still bring in a former star with a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted that the Yankees could trade for the Cardinals’ former star first baseman Willson Contreras to add a veteran presence this offseason.
“Once the Cardinals traded Sonny Gray to the Red Sox, parting ways with both Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras became exponentially more of a ‘when?’ situation than an ‘if?’ proposition,” Miller wrote Sunday. “Both veterans have no-trade clauses, but The Athletic’s Katie Woo … previously reported that both Arenado and Contreras are much more open to waiving those clauses than they were a year ago.
“For Contreras, certainly Boston would be interested, but the Yankees almost make too much sense, given their affinity in recent years for bringing in first basemen who are already into their mid-30s. The Bronx Bombers also have a stockpile of pitching prospects, which the Cardinals need badly enough to potentially retain a significant chunk of the $41.5M remaining on his deal.”
This wouldn’t be the first time New York traded for a veteran first baseman. The Yankees traded for Anthony Rizzo in 2021, who served as the team’s first baseman through the 2024 season before the team signed Goldschmidt for the 2025 season.
Contreras may not be the All-Star that he was back when he played for the Chicago Cubs, but the 33-year-old still slashed .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs and a career-high 80 RBIs this season and could be a solid contributor for the Yankees.
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