This team lives or dies by the Captain.

There are plenty of reasons to believe in 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt bouncing back in 2025. But there’s one reason we get the chance to find out if the pinstripes can work their magic once again: Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ most important player, believes in him.

Goldschmidt, like Judge, is hungry. He represents the fabric of a tight-knit clubhouse, and has been an essential part of the wallpaper in both Arizona and St. Louis. He’s ringless. In the second half of last season, he counteracted his weaknesses by limiting swing-and-mess and tattooing left-handed pitching. He’s the type of fortifying presence the ’90s Yankees used to thrive off bringing in for one last crack at things during their twilight years. There’s a good chance that, in the Bronx, a few of his durable, hardscrabble fly outs become home runs. In an odd market where first basemen fell off the board like Turbo Man dolls last weekend, he might be both the best bargain and best option for a Yankees team trying to hold it together.

But one thing is clear: whether the Yankees were ever “close” on Christian Walker or not, they preferred to lose their draft pick compensation for Max Fried, and had no interest in doubling down. They also preferred to use cash rather than pitching depth to acquire a slugger to hold down first base, ruling out Josh Naylor (PS: Cleveland would never) and Nathaniel Lowe.

And, when push came to shove, Judge likely shoved this deal across the finish line. The closeness of the two parties is evident, based on an Athletic feature about how they sought one another out as reigning MVPs during the 2022-23 offseason, relentlessly trying to get better as the game banded together to slow them down.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt share MVP connection that could help 2025 team sink or swim

It would be disingenuous to claim, with no inside knowledge, that Judge pushed for Goldschmidt above all available options at the beginning of the offseason. But, once the Yankees made their intentions clear and drew a line in the sand on additional qualifying offer free agents, it seems quite likely that they asked for Judge’s input on the rest of the group.

Naylor would be as toxic as Goldschmidt would be unifying. Lowe being an available slugger on a team essentially trying to contend bathes him in red flags. Carlos Santana cost Goldschmidt’s price, is two years older, and preferred to go home to Cleveland. You can make the logical case for splurging on Walker, but Goldschmidt is the obvious front-runner among the remaining short-term options.

Judge sees the possible greatness in him, too, and the Captain’s comfort matters, especially in the wake of losing Juan Soto. Whether it’s important to you, the fan, or not, the Yankees need Judge to be surrounded by trusted presences in 2025, with so much roster changeover afoot. If Goldschmidt struggles, fans with pitchforks and megaphones will be united, ready to blame Judge (and ignore Cashman’s reticence to thin out the draft pool). That’s fine — as long as they’re also prepared to praise Judge if his advice got this one right.