The Nolan Arenado to the New York Yankees pipeline dream is nearing its end. This was always a speck on the radar, a longshot hope for Yankees fans, and ultimately, a dream that will not likely come to fruition.
Here is the latest from Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
“The St. Louis Cardinals are not receiving any interest in third baseman Nolan Arenado after he rejected trades this winter to the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels,” Nightengale wrote.
Trusting Nightengale, this means New York is out on the Cardinals’ future Hall of Fame third baseman. This is disappointing news for several reasons, particularly because Arenado, even at 34 years old, is still a highly effective player.
What Would Yankees Get Out of Arenado?
Through 37 games and 141 at-bats, Arenado is batting .270 with a .778 OPS and a 118 OPS+. He has chipped in four home runs and 16 RBIs, but it is his 16:17 BB:K ratio that stands out. This is a Yankees lineup that has been hampered by high strikeout rates in recent years, and adding a veteran, savvy bat like Arenado would do wonders for their balance.
It feels awfully similar to the Paul Goldschmidt acquisition, which was not met with particular enthusiasm but has already paid dividends. Goldschmidt, a corner infielder from St. Louis with a Hall of Fame resumé, has been a catalyst behind New York’s hot start at the plate.
Arenado, much like Goldschmidt, is a terrific defender. His skills have slightly dipped with age, but this is still a 10x Gold Glove (2013-22) winner and a 6x Platinum Glove winner (2017-22). He still has stellar range, a more-than-trustworthy glove, and while his arm is not what it once was, he would have been a significant upgrade.
In-House Options
Outside of depth pitching due to a laundry list of injured starters, the Yankees’ only gaping hole is at third base. Oswaldo Cabrera has seen a majority of the innings (258 over 32 games and 29 starts) with Oswald Peraza as the primary backup (85 innings over 14 games and 10 starts).
Cabrera is a fine bench/utility player, but it is unrealistic to expect starting production from him for an entire season. He is batting .243 with a .630 OPS, and an 81 OPS+ through 103 at-bats with just one home run and 25 strikeouts to 10 walks.
Peraza, meanwhile, was a highly touted prospect who lost out on the shortstop job to Anthony Volpe three seasons ago. Coming up, he was hailed as a defensive savant, but neither his infield play nor batting (.200 average, .643 OPS, 81 OPS+) has been enough to warrant regular opportunities.
New York does have middle infielder George Lombard Jr. ripping through the minors and ascending to the No. 1 prospect spot. But, he is still in Double-A, and even if he continues this accelerant pace, he is not going to crack the MLB roster until at least 2026.
Without an Arenado deal in the works, the Yankees will need Cabrera and Peraza to carry the load at third. The front office’s refusal to address the position this offseason remains a head-scratcher, and it will need more from its young duo to exorcise recent October demons.
Yankees Seemingly Make Nolan Arenado Decision Ahead of Deadline