The New York Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt on Saturday after missing out on the likes of Christian Walker, who would have made a more powerful impact on the lineup. The Yankees lost Juan Soto, a Hall-of-Fame caliber player, and that is not an easy bat to replace.
Soto signed a 16-year, $765 million contract with the crosstown rival New York Mets. The Yankees fell just short to Steve Cohen’s singular goal of adding Soto to the middle of the Mets lineup. For the Yankees, the step now is to rebuild the lineup without one of their stars. That is easier said than done.
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New York’s first couple of moves in post-Soto roster construction involved the pitching staff, as they signed Max Fried and traded for Devin Williams. Further deals for Cody Bellinger and now signing Goldschmidt have showcased what a lineup would look like without Soto, and it’s not what Yankees fans grew accustomed to in 2024.
Here’s how the Yankees lineup could look with the addition of Paul Goldschmidt pic.twitter.com/7gZxxPPWWA
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) December 21, 2024
The initial reaction to this graphic from Yankees fans was dismay. Surely, the starting nine has to look better than this, right? While it’s important to remember the offseason is far from over – and the Yankees likely still have some winter magic still left in them – replacing Soto by committee was never going to look as pretty as writing him in the lineup everyday. That’s now how losing a superstar works.
Goldschmidt batting cleanup? Really? Yes, really.
While there are several ways the Yankees could put the lineup together, the end result is roughly the same. Goldschmidt should not be batting cleaup on a World Series contender. As of this writing, the Yankees have some work to do before they’re solidly placed in that category heading into spring training.
Anthony Volpe batting leadoff again is a bit of a risk. I might recommend batting Aaron Judge second. Bellinger could also bat cleanup on certain days, thus moving Goldschmidt down in the lineup. Jasson Dominguez or Giancarlo Stanton could have breakout seasons, thus making this entire exercise a moot point. We have no idea.
Without Soto, the Yankees are running thin on ‘sure things’ at the top of the lineup. That’s a scary place to be if you’re the New York Freaking Yankees.
