D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt playing way over his salary
Paul Goldschmidt is quickly being given his due for being perhaps the best player in baseball. In the latest All-Star voting update released Monday, Goldschmidt was well ahead of fellow first baseman Adrian Gonzalez -- more than doubling his vote total -- and now ranks third overall in the NL in votes behind Bryce Harper and Buster Posey.
The Arizona Republic points out that Goldschmidt may be one of the best bargains in the majors. The Republic estimates that Goldschmidt’s contract may average out to $7.4 million a year if the D-backs pick up his option in 2019. He will make just over $3 million this year. He actually ranks seventh in terms of salary on a D-backs team that ranks last in the majors in payroll.
The always understated Goldschmidt has no complaints about his contract, per the Republic:
“You play bad after you sign a contract and the team's probably looking for a way out of it. If you play good, maybe the player wants something. It's just how the game goes, and it's not something I'm really ever thinking about.”
He’s right. He hadn’t proven himself to this degree when he signed his current deal with the D-backs, and there’s no way the team could have foreseen that he would produce to this level. For a bit more perspective, Goldschmidt’s paltry $3 million doesn’t even put him among the one hundred highest-paid baseball players this year, despite the Ruthian numbers he’s putting up. If he continues to produce at this level, he will certainly be in for a big payday when he becomes a free agent in 2020.
(h/t Arizona Republic)
Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
