The St. Louis Cardinals, facing challenges in trading Nolan Arenado, have reportedly resumed discussions with the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox about a potential deal, with a new approach that includes a willingness to cover a larger portion of Arenado’s salary, according to John Denton of MLB.com. Initially, the Cardinals were hesitant to absorb a significant amount of the remaining money owed to Arenado, but they now appear more open to that idea in hopes of facilitating a trade.
However, ESPN’s Jorge Castillo has stated that the Yankees are not actively pursuing Arenado, indicating that any conversations with New York were likely brief. On the other hand, negotiations between St. Louis and Boston appear to have gained some momentum. While the Red Sox have shown interest in Alex Bregman, their reluctance to commit to a long-term deal with the veteran third baseman may make a trade with St. Louis unlikely. As for the Dodgers, they are not seen as serious contenders for Arenado, especially with Max Muncy already filling the third base role.
The Cardinals are under increasing pressure to move Arenado, as his contract is proving difficult for many teams to take on. The third baseman is owed a significant amount of money over the next three seasons, making it a tough sell for the Cardinals to receive anything of substantial value in return unless they’re willing to absorb a large portion of his salary. Mark Feinsand reported that the Yankees once proposed a deal involving Marcus Stroman for Arenado, but St. Louis quickly rejected the offer. Jack Curry of YES Network has denied these reports, though it’s possible the Yankees simply didn’t want to publicly reveal an attempt to trade for Arenado.
While the Yankees haven’t been heavily involved in Arenado discussions, their lack of interest makes sense given several factors. Yankee Stadium isn’t an ideal fit for Arenado’s offensive style, as he is known for being a pull-heavy hitter and has seen a decline in power over the years. The Yankees also don’t have much in terms of prospect depth to offer, with Baseball America ranking their farm system 25th in the league, compared to the Red Sox’s top-ranked system. With Arenado entering his age-34 season, coming off a down year where he posted a 102 wRC+ and hit just 16 home runs, trading top prospects like Spencer Jones or Chase Hampton for him seems unwise, especially considering his hefty salary and the remaining years on his contract.
Additionally, the Yankees are already committed to high salaries for players like Arenado and DJ LeMahieu, making it even more difficult to justify adding another expensive contract. The Yankees may be better off looking for alternatives to improve third base, such as exploring options with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins, who were initially looking to spend between $5-6 million this winter, have already spent $9.25 million in recent days. They could potentially trade Willi Castro, who is owed $6.4 million for his final year of arbitration, which would be a more affordable option for the Yankees.
Meanwhile, Alex Bregman, who has been on the Yankees’ radar, is being courted by the Chicago Cubs, who have offered him a four-year deal worth over $100 million. This could lead to the Cubs making Nico Hoerner available, offering the Yankees another possible target.
Ultimately, Arenado’s age, expense, and poor fit for Yankee Stadium make him a less appealing option for New York, and reports from ESPN and YES Network suggest that the Yankees are not actively pursuing him at this time. While the Cardinals continue to explore trade possibilities, it appears that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is not showing much interest at this moment.
