When the New York Yankees entered the off-season, they had to address the gaps in their lineup. At the top of their to-do list was, of course, fixing the first base issues. They ranked last in production the last season, and they needed to get that sorted. So, the team signed Paul Goldschmidt for a one-year, $12.5 million deal. The 2022 NL MVP, on December 21, officially went from being a St. Louis Cardinals star to a Yankee. His veteran presence and his want for a World Series ring will be super helpful for the team that still wants to break their WS drought since ’09.

Goldschmidt’s signing also solved the major loss the Yankees faced with Juan Soto leaving for their crosstown rivals. What’s even more shocking is the stark contrast between Soto and Goldschmidt. On one side, Soto got swayed by the shiny new suite and the perks like security and premium seats by Steve Cohen to wear red and blue. Meanwhile, Goldschmidt displayed admirable behavior. He chose to take less money because he wanted to play in New York and be surrounded by a winning group. And his recent interview shows us a peek at how he might have signed because of his rapport with Aaron Judge!

Paul Goldschmidt counts Aaron Judge as one of the greats

Goldschmidt’s virtual introductory press conference happened on January 2. And then he was, of course, asked about what he feels about playing with Aaron Judge, the 2024 MVP. And he didn’t hesitate to shower the immense love and admiration for the Yankee captain. Goldschmidt said, “I got the opportunity to meet him and stay in touch with him.” Goldschmidt noted he and Judge did meet up for a day and had lunch together a few years back. He also mentioned some of the other players being there too, like LeMahieu, and that it was a great experience, and since then on, he has been in touch with Judge.

The former Cardinal player said, “That’s something I’ve always tried to do: find great hitters or great players and coaches and just try to seek them out and try to learn from them.” And who wouldn’t want to play alongside Judge? Goldschmidt said, “He’s (Aaron Judge) one of the best hitters in the world, maybe the best hitter. And as a right-handed power hitter, a guy that I’m very, very excited to play with and get to see him work every day.”

Later, he concluded with, “He’s just one of the best.” These last six words just say how much the Yankee captain still means to players. Many this time have compared him to other players, be it Ohtani or Soto. Insiders even say Soto is better given his age and his don’t-care attitude. But Aaron Judge has been consistent. Yes, his postseason dilemmas are there, but his regular-season numbers don’t show any wear and tear.

The New York Yankees and their MVP-filled rotation

The New York Mets spent money like water this season, the highest in MLB. But the Yankees took a more conservative approach, in a way to create balance in the lineup. Recently, MLB analyst Chris Gimenez described the Paul Goldschmidt signing as “the right move at the right time.” Instead of spending it all on a player like Soto, they spread that money across. They signed Max Fried, the pitcher, and Cody Bellinger too, from the Chicago Cubs, and they have strengthened the roster.

Gimenez explained, “I think he did the Yankees a favor because it allowed them to go after quality veteran guys like Paul Goldschmidt and some of the other pieces they’ve brought in this offseason.” Now Goldschmidt is a seasoned first baseman, and he fills in that role the Yankees have a gap in perfectly. Plus, with him joining, the Yankees will be a team full of MVPs. Even Cody Bellinger has an MVP award, meaning the Yankees will have four MVP players in the starting rotation.

So far, it looks like a great team. But Gimenez does warn of a little downtime for Goldschmidt. “Now, he can go out there and work his way through things. I do think changing leagues has some adjustment period, so we might expect a bit of a lull initially, but he’s still a good enough hitter,” Gimenez added, concluding by saying that Paul Goldschmidt has the ability and the body and bat to get the job done at the ballpark. Well, only time will tell what happens.

Right now, the Yankee lineup looks balanced; they are still looking to bolster their defense and might sign another name or two soon. Who do you think will come in? Let us know below.