The New York Yankees have had a rough visit to the West Coast, losing the first two games in their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers by a combined 19 runs.
But even a pair of brutal losses can’t dampen the team’s season so far. They are enjoying a 5 1/2 game lead in the American League East division and have overcome several injuries to continue performing as one of the sport’s best offenses.
One of the biggest keys to that success has been former Most Valuable Player Award winner Paul Goldschmidt, who joined the Yankees this past winter on a single-year, $12.5 million deal.
Since joining the Yankees, Goldschmidt is slashing .343/.399/.502. He has the third-most hits in Major League Baseball and a top five batting average, making his relatively small contract their most valuable free agent signing of the year.
But even after losing superstar Juan Soto to the crosstown rival New York Mets, the Yankees almost didn’t sign him.
“It’s true that the Yankees’ post-Juan Soto spree left them at the limits of their willingness to spend,” Andy Martino reported for SNY. “In fact, it was no sure thing that they would stretch for Paul Goldschmidt until folks in baseball operations made a strong case for doing so.”
Luckily, the Yankees’ baseball minds made a compelling case for the team to extend its payroll a bit to add the seven-time All-Star. They must have seen something even after his .245/.302/.414 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals last year to suggest he would bounce back in the Bronx.
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