Diamondbacks Considering Reunion with MVP

The Arizona Diamondbacks have already dipped into their (recent) past by re-signing Merrill Kelly in free agency this offseason. Could they be considering bringing back another familiar face from even farther back in time—this one a former NL MVP? 

According to Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic, Paul Goldschmidt looms as a potential addition, which would bring him back together with Nolan Arenado, who the Snakes traded for last week. 

The Diamondbacks, before acquiring Arenado, were in the market for a right-handed hitting first baseman/DH. Their preference now might be more left-handed, and they want to keep the DH spot open. But they still could use a platoon partner for Pavin Smith at first base. 

Free agent Paul Goldschmidt, a member of the Diamondbacks from 2011 to ‘18 and teammate of Arenado’s with the Cardinals from 2021 to ‘24, continues to loom as a potential fit.

Goldy was a six-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger with the Diamondbacks before they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals after the 2018 season. After three Top 3 finishes in NL MVP balloting while in the desert, he went on to win one with the Cards as recently as 2022. 

Goldschmidt, based on his time with the New York Yankees in 2025, is not the same force he once was. But at the age of 38, he was still mashing lefties, batting .336 with a .981 OPS. As Rosenthal notes, he'd be a perfect platoon bat at first base in Arizona. And a great reunion story. 

Since leading the league in slugging (.578) and OPS (.981) in that '22 MVP year, Father Time has caught up to Goldschmidt, and his numbers have plummeted, particularly with his inability to hit RHPs. His slugging dropped to .403 last season, and his OPS to .731. But limiting him to facing southpaws could still draw a nice return out of Goldy. 

The Diamondbacks aren't necessarily done doing business this winter, so we'll see where this leads us. The Washington Nationals and New York Mets are two other teams potentially interested in him. 

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