“I don’t know that it was not wanting to trade within the division, but I can tell you the quality of players that they asked for — including our first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt…”
Stewart couldn’t finish his sentence as he was interrupted by Gambo.
“They asked for Paul Goldschmidt,” Gambo asked.
“Now you get it,” Stewart responded while laughing.
Hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?
Goldschmidt, 27, is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, batting .347/.464/.605 with 22 home runs, 77 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. He currently leads baseball in on-base percentage, and leads the National League in batting average, hits (124), and walks (82).
Beyond that, Goldschmidt is signed to a very team-friendly contract, as he signed a five-year, $32 million extension with the Diamondbacks in March of 2013. He’s earning $3 million this season and his salary escalates slightly each season through 2019. His elite production plus his contract make him one of the most valuable players in baseball in every sense of the word “valuable”.
The Diamondbacks also showed interest in Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, but didn’t end up pulling the trigger on any trade for a closer, so they’ll roll with Brad Ziegler in the ninth inning the rest of the way.
