A bounce-back season from the right-swinging Goldschmidt, as well as the left-handed Bellinger, coupled with the additions to the pitching staff of lefty Max Fried and closer Devin Williams, would go a long way in getting the Yankees back to the top of the American League.

About 18 minutes into his introductory Zoom call on Thursday, new Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt casually acknowledged that he’s getting toward the end of his career. While the 37-year-old declined to put a number on how many seasons he has left in the game,

I didn’t play well most of last year,” Goldschmidt said on a Zoom conference call Thursday afternoon to discuss the one-year, $12.5 million contract he agreed to late last month to be the Yankees’ first baseman in 2025.