The New York Yankees have needs, but it’s important the front office doesn’t get desperate. After making the right moves so far, the last thing the Yankees need to do is make a trade or sign a player just to do so.
Sometimes, taking a calculated risk makes sense. If the Yankees believe there’s a player available who could figure it out or get back on track with them, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to pursue said player.
That could be the case with Nolan Arenado, but Chris Kirschner of The Athletic urged the Yankees to be careful, adding why Arenado might not be the best fit.
“The idea of Arenado playing for the Yankees likely grew over the weekend because his close friend, Paul Goldschmidt, signed a one-year deal to play first base. But the Yankees should be cautious of pursuing Arenado. The lineup needs internal growth from the young players, and adding declining veterans may weaken the overall group.
“Arenado has turned in back-to-back years of declining offensive production, and locking him under contract for three more years doesn’t seem like a good use of payroll. He’s still an elite defender, but his metrics do not indicate he’s poised to break out offensively this year. Plus, Arenado’s power has decreased in the past two years and Yankee Stadium won’t help his swing, like it should for Cody Bellinger,” Kirschner wrote on December 23.
Conflicting Reports About the Yankees’ Interest in Arenado
Mark Feinsand and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported that the New York Yankees offered the St. Louis Cardinals Marcus Stroman for Arenado, a deal that would be ideal for the Yankees.
If the Cardinals took on Stroman’s contract, the Yankees wouldn’t need them to eat any of Arenado’s contract.
“The Yankees approached the Cardinals earlier this offseason about a deal for Arenado, sources said, but they were rebuffed because St. Louis had no interest in taking on the contract of veteran right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman,” they wrote on December 20.
However, there are now conflicting reports about the Yankees interest in Arenado. According to Jack Curry of YES Network, Stroman was never offered for Arenado.
“The Yankees never offered Stroman in a conversation with the Cardinals about Arenado. Doesn’t mean they won’t trade Stroman, but it’s inaccurate he was in a Cardinals conversation about Arenado,” Curry said on December 23.
How Could the Yankees Trade for Arenado?
For the New York Yankees to trade for Arenado, there might have to be a few things that play out. The Yankees likely won’t want to take all of his salary back, and rightfully so. He’s owed $25.5 million in 2025, an expensive price for an aging player.
If the Yankees were to find a deal with one of their struggling veterans involved, like DJ LeMahieu, it’d be a perfect trade.
However, Kirschner doesn’t expect the St. Louis Cardinals would want to take on LeMahieu and his contract.
“LeMahieu’s owed $15 million this season, and Arenado’s CBT salary is $25.55 million. The Cardinals had an agreement in place with the Houston Astros where St. Louis was set to pay $5 million of Arenado’s salary, but the third baseman used his full no-trade clause and nixed the deal.
“The Cardinals want as much salary relief as possible, so taking on LeMahieu’s contract, even though it’s less than Arenado’s, may not work for them,” Kirschner wrote.
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