Arizona Diamondbacks exercise 2019 option on Paul Goldschmidt

I’m tempted to write several sarcastic paragraphs about how the long waiting is over, and after much agonizing, the team finally decided to pull the trigger on retaining Paul Goldschmidt’s services for another year, naturally only after delaying any decision until the last possible moment. But I sincerely doubt I’d be fooling anyone. In what is probably close to the easiest decision GM Mike Hazen and his team will have this winter, the D-backs announced this afternoon - less than 24 hours after the end of the season - that they would exercise the one-year team option on Goldschmidt.

He’ll earn $14.5 million in the final season of a deal signed just before the start of the 2013 season. It was an utter no-brainer for Arizona, given Goldschmidt’s LOW value over the six years since has been 4.6 bWAR, and his average production has been better than six wins per season (36.3 bWAR, at a total cost to the D-backs of only $30.55 million so far). Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be traded, either between now and Opening Day, or at some point during the upcoming season. In the absence of any extension, he’ll hit free agency as part of next winter’s class.