This winter, the New York Yankees have competition from other Major League Baseball teams.
Other teams are interested in the pursuit of Roki Sasaki and the trade for Nolan Arenado. In an ideal world, the Yankees would get every player they wanted at a reasonable price. However, that seems unlikely.
The Yankees need to acquire another piece or two, and more importantly, they cannot allow their targets to join the Boston Red Sox or other competitors in free agency or by trade.
That is what would happen in a transaction proposed by Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report. Rymer advocated trading Arenado to the Red Sox.
“There have already been two unsuccessful attempts to trade for Nolan Arenado.” The New York Yankees reportedly attempted to base a trade around Marcus Stroman, but the Cardinals declined. Then the Houston Astros took a shot at Arenado, except this time he said no via his no-trade clause.
Notably, neither club is one of the six teams Arenado is supposedly interested in playing for. Despite the Southern California native’s alleged affinity for the Dodgers, the Red Sox stand out. Even after trading Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox still have a lot of young position players on their roster. That can only help if they pursue Arenado, as St. Louis’ rejection of Stroman suggests that a bad-contract trade involving, example, Masataka Yoshida will not take place,” Rymer noted on December 31.
Yankees Like Arenado, but Contract Still an Issue
The New York Yankees dealing for Arenado would improve their squad, but at what cost? New York has opportunities to move, but Arenado is owed $21.0 million in 2025, $16.0 million in 2026, and $15.0 million in 2027.
Unless the St. Louis Cardinals are ready to eat some of his money, dealing for him is not the greatest option for the Yankees.
According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Yankees like Arenado, but his contract has been an obstacle in trade talks.
“Early in the summer, the Cardinals made apparent their intention to trade Nolan Arenado, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak citing financial relief as the motivator. In October, St. Louis revealed plans to reduce team spending and focus on improving its player development system before resetting its roster in 2025.
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have been linked to Arenado this winter, but it’s unclear if they’re still interested. However, many league sources say that while the Yankees adore Arenado, they aren’t interested in taking on the entirety of his deal, which the Cardinals would almost surely need to do.” Woo reported on December 30.
Will the Yankees Trade for Arenado
At the moment, it does not appear that the New York Yankees will trade for Arenado. However, keep in mind that offseason plans are subject to alter at any time. If the Yankees believe Arenado can put them over the top, they should be able to find a way to bring him to the Bronx.
A lot would have to happen, with the St. Louis Cardinals playing the deciding role, but everything is possible. The Cardinals may eventually eat some of his salary, allowing the future Hall of Famer to join the Yankees or another team.
