Back in October, it was reported that the Arizona Diamondbacks were considering rebuilding following a disappointing season that saw them collapse in September. With that, it looks like the D-Backs are listening to offers for Paul Goldschmidt, who has a year left on his contract. Jon Morosi of MLB.com has reported that the Minnesota Twins and Diamondbacks have had "preliminary talks" about a Goldschmidt trade, but the discussion has not "advanced in recent days."
#Twins and #DBacks have had preliminary talks about a Paul Goldschmidt trade, source confirms, though the dialogue has not advanced in recent days. Minnesota had 5th-lowest OPS at first base of any @MLB team in 2018; Arizona had the best . . . because of Goldschmidt. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 20, 2018
As Morosi mentions, the Twins had the 5th-lowest OPS at first base of any Major League team in 2018 while the Diamondbacks had the best, because they had Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks' best and most popular homegrown player in franchise history. With Joe Mauer making his retirement official earlier this month, Goldschmidt would be a great replacement. But the Twins could end up giving Tyler Austin a chance at first or shopping around for someone else who won't cost prospects.
Goldschmidt, 31, is a six-time All-Star who finished sixth in the Most Valuable Player voting this year. He slashed .290/.389/.533, and led the D-Backs with a 5.4 WAR in 2018. He also has posted an OPS+ of at least 125 in each of his seven full seasons, including a 139 mark this year that ranked second among qualifying first basemen.
This could be a legitimate rumor, and the start of the Twins making a serious run for Goldschmidt. Or it could just be one part of all of the buzz around Goldschmidt this offseason. Either way, the D-Backs are sure to get plenty more interest.
