NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees agreed Saturday to a $12.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
Goldschmidt would become the Yankees' fourth significant addition since Juan Soto's departure for the New York Mets after left-hander Max Fried, closer Devin Williams and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Goldschmidt's addition likely means Bellinger will be primarily an outfielder.
The Yankees still may be looking for a third baseman along with left-handed relievers: There are no lefty relievers on their 40-man roster.
A seven-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and the 2022 NL MVP, the right-handed Goldschmidt joins fellow MVPs Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Bellinger on the Yankees. Goldschmidt became a free agent after completing a $130 million, five-year contract with St. Louis.
He spent his first eight seasons with Arizona and his last six with the Cardinals, slumping to a career-low .245 average last season with 22 homers and 65 RBIs. He revived his numbers late in the season, batting .283 with seven homers and 25 RBIs from July 28 on.
Goldschmidt hit .295 with five homers, 16 RBIs and a .839 OPS in 167 plate appearances against left-handers this year and .230 with 17 homers, 49 RBIs and a .675 OPS in 487 plate appearances against righties.
He is a .289 career hitter with 362 homers and 1,187 RBIs for the Diamondbacks (2011-18) and Cardinals (2019-24). Goldschmidt batted .317 with 35 homers, 115 RBIs and a .981 OPS in 2022.
New York also finalized a one-year contract with right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga, a deal that includes a club option for 2026. Pitching coach Matt Blake said this week the 30-year-old right-hander could return in late April or May from Tommy John surgery last May 1.
“I imagine him being one of the high-leverage guys,” Blake said. “Obviously, we got to take some time to get him right, make sure we don’t rush him into competition.”
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FILE - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with “The Apprentice,” is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.
“With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role,” Trump announced Saturday.
Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like “Survivor” and “The Voice,” but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for “The Apprentice,” which first aired on NBC in 2004.
Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.
The selection of Burnett continues Trump's trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend,” and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.
Trump’s first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on “The Apprentice” and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a “star.”
Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump’s television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first campaign from the building’s lobby.
“Mark is known for creating and producing some of the biggest shows in Television History," Trump wrote in his statement on Burnett, listing many of his biggest hits before adding, “most notably, ‘The Apprentice’" and noting that Burnett “has won 13 Emmy Awards!”
Special envoys are usually picked by presidents for the world's traditional hotspots, including the Middle East — where Trump has already said he'd like Steven Witkoff to fill the role. The United Kingdom, which has long enjoyed a “special relationship” with the U.S. that makes it one of Washington's strongest global allies, is not typically a candidate for such posts.
But Trump has announced a series of special envoy positions to several top loyalists ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, including his former ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell who he chose as envoy for special missions. That announcement joined previous ones including Adam Boehler as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and Keith Kellogg to serve as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
The president-elect said Burnett “will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges.”
FILE - President Donald Trump, right, talks with television producer Mark Burnett during the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - Television producer Mark Burnett, left, looks on as President Donald Trump arrives for the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
