If Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart has his way, he’d keep first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in Arizona for his entire career. He said by phone to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, “We want to make him a lifetime Diamondback.”
The organization will consider a longer-term contract when the season is over. Goldschmidt is signed to one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball, currently in the second year of a five-year, $32 million extension signed on March 29, 2013. After 2015, he’ll earn $40 million over the next four seasons.
Goldschmidt, 27, finished second to Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen for the 2013 National League Most Valuable Player Award. He’ll at least finish high in the NL MVP Award balloting after this season, as he enters Friday’s action hitting .341/.457/.584 with 22 home runs, 83 RBI, 74 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases. He leads the majors in batting average and walks (89), and leads the league in RBI. According to FanGraphs, only Bryce Harper (6.9) has more Wins Above Replacement than Goldschmidt (5.6) in the NL.