Hot Stove League Update: Paul Goldschmidt Agrees To Terms With Yankees

 Paul Goldschmidt 1B, long time Giants nemesis, is signing with......the Yankees for 1 yr/$12.5 M.

2024:  .245/.302/.414, 22 HR, 11 SB, 7.2 BB%, 26.5 K%, 654 PA, 1.1 fWAR.

I can't say I saw this coming.  Goldschmidt was someone I thought could be a nice bat for Buster Posey to add at a not-unreasonable cost.  His 2024 numbers are not great and have been declining for a couple of years now but they are also not terrible by Giants hitting standards.  I felt like he and Buster might have a mutual respect that goes back to the glory days for both players but here we are.  Goldy is going to play for the Yankees for a not-unreasonable price.  Yesterday's take:  He might have something left in the tank.  Today's take:  Nah, he's washed up!  Hey, at least he's in the other league now.  Buh bye!

So who's left on the first base free agent market? 

Pete Alonso(QO):  Love the HR power but not much else.  Definitely does not fit with Buster's stated philosophy for roster construction.

Josh Bell

Anthony Rizzo

Carlos Santana

Hey! Bringing back Brandon Belt as a lefthanded DH isn't looking so bad!  It's really looking like the Giants are content to ride out a platoon of LMWJ and Wilmer Flores or Jerar Encarnacion until Bryce Eldridge is ready and I can think of worse plans.

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Thanks to Nick San Miguel of Around the Foghorn for the heads up on an international signing from Asia.  No, not Roki Sasaki but Nien-Hsi Yang RHP out of Taiwan for a reported $500 K.   I read the Giants had about $2 M of unused bonus pool money for the 2024 international signing period and December 15 was the deadline. So they had some extra change lying around and used it on Yang.  Scouting report is he's 18 ho with a 3 pitch mix headlined by a 92 MPH FB.  He's a sturdy looking kid with a conventional windup and over-the-top delivery.  Maybe we'll see him in a San Jose Giants uniform in 2025?