Jack Curry report on Yankees first base solution comes into focus after Astros' move

When Jack Curry speaks, Yankees fans listen. And when Jack Curry tells fans the market has stalled, they'd better buckle up and wait (even if this particular market seems to be hurtling towards an inevitable conclusion).

It was not one week ago when fans, in the wake of absorbing the Max Fried signing, stayed up all night refreshing their phones during the Winter Meetings trying to will a Christian Walker contract across the finish line. As it turns out, either everyone got the same half-baked tip or a Walker deal fell apart at the last minute. Surely, the Yankees didn't realize at the last second that they wanted to keep their draft picks, but that's what the world would have you believe.

Regardless, the Yankees' first base hole remains unplugged, as new addition Cody Bellinger seems more likely to patch up the outfield. In a time of need, fans turned to Curry once again on YES Hot Stove Thursday night. He didn't fall for the Anthony Santander bait. He tossed a bucket of cold water on Walker and, even though some fans convinced themselves they were lurking a la Mark Teixiera in 2009 for Pete Alonso, he put the kibosh on that idea, too.

Instead, he laid out pretty plainly what we've been hearing buzz about for a few days now: Paul Goldschmidt's far more likely, and it really seems like the Yankees are zeroing in on him. Of course, if the market's as stalled as it seems to be, there's no rush.

Yankees more likely to sign Paul Goldschmidt than Christian Walker or Pete Alonso, so we can read between the lines

Well, the market's kind of taking off now that Christian Walker has agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with the Houston Astros, but the Yankees were never making that deal, so maybe it sets the stage for the remaining options.

Curry specifically laser focused on Goldschmidt's veteran presence and continued ability to mash lefties. If used in the correct circumstances -- and at the right price -- there's a very good possibility that Goldschmidt, combined with Ben Rice's projections, can combine to form a classic Yankees duo, complete with mentorship and understated grace. We understand why some fans would prefer switch-hitting Carlos Santana, if the team prizes one-year flexibility, but ... it's not your money. If Goldschmidt costs $10-12 million, but is willing to cede reps to Rice, it's highly possible the Yankees receive better performance than if they'd paid Santana slightly less while shunting their own rookie to the side.

We could certainly be wrong here, but the possible addition of Goldschmidt feels more like Wade Boggs/Tim Raines than Josh Donaldson.