Yankees to Cut Ties With Ex-$130 Million MVP After Team's Playoff Exit: Insider

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The New York Yankees are expected to make a major change.

The New York Yankees could be headed for a roster shakeup as the club heads into the offseason with plenty of decisions to make. New York could look to free agency for help in an attempt to return to contention.

The Yankees also have several of their own key players who will be free agents as well, including first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty report that the Yankees do not plan to re-sign Goldschmidt.

Instead, New York is expected to turn to Ben Rice to take over as the club’s new first baseman.

“The Yankees have eight players who are unrestricted free agents: Paul Blackburn, Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham, Amed Rosario, Austin Slater, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams and Ryan Yarbrough,” Kirschner and Kuty wrote in an October 8, 2025, story titled, “Three key offseason questions after Yankees’ playoff loss to Blue Jays.”

“They have two players who have a club option: Tim Hill ($3 million) and Jonathan Loáisiga ($5 million). Cody Bellinger has a $25 million player option that he’ll almost certainly decline to pursue a long-term deal,” Kirschner and Kuty added.

“Goldschmidt will not be re-signed, as Ben Rice is the club’s first baseman of the future.”

The Yankees Are Expected to Move on From 1B Paul Goldschmidt

Goldschmidt has an impressive resume over his 15-year MLB career, but the Yankees appear to be looking towards the future. The former MVP is a 7-time All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner and 5-time Silver Slugger.

Goldschmidt hit .274 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 76 runs in 145 appearances in 2025. The veteran played on a one-year, $12.5 million contract, a far cary from his previous five-year, $130 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Another team should be able to sign Goldschmidt to a favorable deal. Spotrac projects Goldschmidt’s market value is a one-year, $7 million contract.

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone on Ben Rice: ‘He’s Proving Himself as a Really Formidable Hitter in This League’

Rice hit .255 with 26 home runs, 65 RBI and 74 runs in 138 appearances for the Yankees in 2025. Yankees manager Aaron Boone appeared to gain confidence in Rice throughout the season.

“I think we’re seeing the emergence of a true middle-of-the-order bat with power,” Boone said on September 21, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “He’s proving himself as a really formidable hitter in this league.”

Yankees 1B Paul Goldschmidt Did Not Rule Out Potentially Retiring

Goldschmidt sounded optimistic about continuing to play, but left the door open to potentially retiring. After the Yankees were eliminated, Goldschmidt discussed his future.

“I think I’d like to continue playing, but I hadn’t sat down and thought about it,” Goldschmidt explained on October 8, per Newsweek. “I was expecting to continue to play here and all that, but I still love playing.

“I still have fun out there. I still want to try to go in, love to compete, so we’ll have to see what happens. I’m thankful for my time here. I don’t know what the future’s going to hold. I just try to give everything I have every day. My fortune really came up short.”

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams