Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently floated an unexpected idea: that the St. Louis Cardinals could send Nolan Arenado to the New York Yankees before the trade deadline. Miller pointed out that if the Cardinals decide to sell, they could move players with expiring contracts like Ryan Helsley, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, Phil Maton, and Miles Mikolas. Sonny Gray might be an option for the Mets, while Arenado could theoretically fill the Yankees’ need at third base.
However, this scenario seems highly unlikely for several reasons. To start, the Yankees would probably rather target Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez. Although Suárez doesn’t have Arenado’s defensive skills, he’s a stronger hitter right now.
More importantly, Arenado’s contract makes a trade very complicated. He’s still owed a significant amount of money, so any team trading for him would be committing to pay a veteran big money even if his performance declines. He also has a no-trade clause and has already blocked two trade attempts from St. Louis. His list of teams he’d consider includes the Mets, Phillies, Angels, Dodgers, and Red Sox — but not the Yankees. So far, there’s no sign he’d agree to go to New York.
In short, unless Arenado unexpectedly changes his mind, the rumors about him joining the Yankees are just that — rumors.
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