While the St. Louis Cardinals have already expressed their intentions to buy the veteran third baseman. Nolan Arenado this winter, it seems that the yankees should not be considered the favorite in those trade conversations.
According Jack Curry from the YES NetworkThe Yankees currently believe Arenado “doesn’t fit” the 2025 roster, with the reasoning centering on his high price tag and disappointing 2024 campaign.
They reportedly value other position players and the free agent first baseman more. walking christian seems to be above that list.
Arenado, who will turn 34 in April, is coming off a season to forget, at least by his standards. The eight-time All-Star hit just 16 home runs for the Cardinals in 2024, his fewest since his rookie season in 2013, and produced 2.5 WAR in 152 games. The concerning power outage also resulted in a .719 OPS and 71 RBIs, his lowest mark in a full season since 2014.
It’s also unclear how much money the Cardinals would need to spend in a trade. Arenado is still owed $74 million over the next three seasons, and while he has expressed desperation to join a championship contender in recent years, the end of his mammoth contract complicates matters. Another impediment is that he exercises a complete no-trade clause.
Arenado’s agent, Joel Wolfe, he recently told reporters that the five-time Silver Slugger is open to changing positions to facilitate a trade. While the Yankees have needs at both first and third base, Arenado has spent a decade playing stellar defense at the hot corner. He has received 10 Gold Glove and six Platinum Glove awards in his 12-year career.
For now, the Yankees must harbor doubts about Arenado’s ability to regain the pop that once helped him hit more than 30 home runs with 100 RBIs in seven consecutive full seasons. As for the Cardinals, they are entering a restructuring phase that makes it unlikely they will compete for a postseason appearance in 2025. They don’t have much leverage.