Paul Goldschmidt was never supposed to be a baseball superstar.
But that's exactly what he became in the early stages of his MLB career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He carried that to the St. Louis Cardinals, and now Goldschmidt is a free agent after a solid season with the New York Yankees.
Goldy's career is winding down now, but he could still be useful for a team as a free agent signing.
ESPN's David Schoenfield actually thinks that a return to the Diamondbacks could make a lot of sense for Goldschmidt, as he explained in a new article on Friday.
"The Diamondbacks don't have a full-time DH, but a reunion with Goldschmidt would work," Schoenfield writes. "His overall numbers with the Yankees weren't great --.274/.328/.403, 10 HRs in 489 at-bats -- but he can still mash lefties (.336/.411/.570), which makes him the perfect platoon partner for Pavin Smith."
MORE: How Tigers, Tarik Skubal have reached a record-setting contract conflict
It would be interesting to see Goldschmidt mostly just play on the short side of a platoon for the franchise for whom he was once one of the best players in the sport.
But at 38 years old, Goldschmidt also probably can use a little more rest than he once needed, so Arizona would have the chance to be cautious with his overall usage.
Fans in Arizona would certainly be pumped to have Goldy back. They could break out some old jerseys or buy new ones.
Goldschmidt's presence could help a team that isn't a surefire winner try to find its way back into contention again, too.
More MLB news:
- Team USA's projected WBC lineup is incredible
- Dominican Republic's projected WBC lineup is fierce
- Reds have a promising prospect named Ichiro Cano
- It's a good day to remember Bob Feller's brilliance and his time in the U.S. Navy
- How Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the WBC
- Hunter Pence's nephew has the best name and a 100 MPH fastball