ASSUME PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT IS A GONER

Paul Goldschmidt’s stint in the Bronx was classy, steady, and ultimately solid — like ordering a fine steak at a diner. He was a model Yankee: polished, professional, and universally respected in the clubhouse. But when the season ended with another lifeless thud against the Blue Jays in the ALDS, all the leadership quotes and “veteran presence” in the world couldn’t mask the truth — it just didn’t work.

The Yankees, forever in a state of “we’ll figure it out next year,” spent the entire season playing catch-up. And Goldschmidt, the $12 million former MVP, seven-time All-Star, and four-time Gold Glover, found himself caught in the middle of a franchise that couldn’t decide whether it was contending or rebuilding. The result? A decent season that meant absolutely nothing.

He hit .274 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs — not bad, not inspiring. After a blazing May where he looked like vintage Goldschmidt (.338 average, .889 OPS), his bat cooled off faster than a Yankee fan’s patience in October. By the stretch run, he was a platoon player, crushing lefties and vanishing against right-handers. For a guy once feared league-wide, that’s not the exit you dream of.

Still, you can’t knock his professionalism. Teammates swore by him. Coaches raved about his work ethic, his obsession with detail, and how he ran the bases like every 90 feet was sacred ground. He made effort look elegant. But this is New York — effort only matters if it comes with results, and the Yankees haven’t had much of those lately.

Goldschmidt, ever the pro, shut down the retirement talk before it could even trend. “I love playing,” he told Jon Heyman — which, translated from baseball veteran-speak, means “I’m not done, just done here.”

The Yankees, meanwhile, are ready to move on. Ben Rice is expected to take over at first, the latest in a long line of “future cornerstones” that the analytics crew swears will work this time.

So yes, Paul Goldschmidt was a good Yankee. A good teammate. A good man. But “good” doesn’t cut it in the Bronx after losing to the Jays. Sometimes, even a player built on class and consistency becomes just another casualty of a front office that’s lost its way. I mean, look at Anthony Rizzo.