TAMPA – After the worst season of his major league career, Paul Goldschmidt has continued some of his approach work this spring, closing 2024 with a positive note.
The 37-year-old can't afford to do so, especially after what was particularly rough in the first five months of the regular season at the plate.
But his bat wasn't the only focus for Goldschmidt, who signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the Yankees this offseason.
Goldschmidt is also the winner of four Gold Gloves, and most recently 1 base in 2021.
His defensive metrics have slipped down in recent years, but these numbers are less reliable than other spots on the field.
Still, Goldschmidt knows he's cutting his job this spring as part of the Yankee infield, who will take over Anthony Volpe in the same position he was in a year ago.
In addition to Goldschmidt, Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved second from the third base to exploit his athletic ability, with the team continuing to look for Chisholm alternatives in the third, with Oswald Cabrera and Oswald Peraza winning the leading candidates and DJ Lemahieu responsible for left Karev.
“I've become acquainted with the infielders,” Goldschmidt said this week at Stein Brenner Field after a 11-1 loss to Atlanta ahead of Sunday's fifth Grapefruitreug match. “I'm used to getting new infielders every year, but now it's new so I have three or four people to learn.”
He doesn't expect many issues, especially from the middle of the diamond.
“I've seen Jazz play third, so if he can play third, short, center, he can play second,” Goldschmidt said. “Looking up at him, he's going to throw some and make other plays that the other second bassman hasn't made. He could play short stops, but he didn't have Volpe on this team.”
Goldschmidt added that he hadn't seen much of Volpe while playing with the Cardinals, but has been impressed so far.
“I knew he got the Gold Gloves. He's really smart over there,” Goldschmidt said.
Chisholm is second, Volpe is shortened, and third is still “I don't know.” Goldschmidt said anyone who gets there will do an extra job to get used to the different angles his new teammate is throwing.
“Everyone moves a little differently,” Goldschmidt said.
It's a process he takes as seriously as his blow, and it's not always the case.
“I probably didn't put the same emphasis on defense, just like I decided to hit my life,” Goldschmidt said. “You say among the minors they say, 'I just I'll hit.' That's what we do a lot on a base. But when I moved to a minor, I realized that if I wanted to go to the majors, you had to become a good advocate. ”
Even if he went through the Diamondbacks minor league system in two full seasons, Goldschmidt changed his mind.
“If I want to keep getting up [in the majors] As a rookie, I'm not going to just go up and mash,” Goldschmidt said. “And even if you do that, in Arizona, they really talked about defense. It switched my mindset, and ever since, I've tried to do everything I can to do as good as a defender.”
