NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt went through a miserable first four months last year, including a career-worst 0-for-32 slide that ended with a May 11 ninth-inning single to avoid his first five-strikeout game.
“The feeling was just like, man, I’m better than this,” the former NL MVP said Thursday, three days after finalizing a $12.5 million, one-year contract with the New York Yankees. “But you got to go out and prove it. I mean, if you don’t perform, then you know you’re not going to be playing. And I think that’s just the truth in this game and in life.”
A seven-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, the 37-year-old first baseman left St. Louis and became part of the Yankees’ Plan B after they lost Juan Soto to the rival New York Mets.
Coming off a World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees also have added left-hander Max Fried, closer Devin Williams and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger.
Goldschmidt joins Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Bellinger to give the Yankees four MVPs.
His beard and mustache shorn, Goldschmidt answered questions for about a half-hour. He spoke of his excitement about his new team, the third of his big league career, and recalled a series at Yankee Stadium with St. Louis on Labor Day weekend last season.
“Just to feel the energy walking out of the dugout, that was really fun,” he said. “The energy’s high every game there.”
He spent his first eight seasons with Arizona and his past six with the Cardinals, slumping to a career-low .245 batting average last season with 22 homers and 65 RBIs. He revived his numbers late in the season, hitting .283 with seven homers and 25 RBIs from July 28 on.
