The New York Yankees’ offseason will hinge on outfielder Juan Soto’s free agency. General manager Brian Cashman is trying to re-sign the 26-year-old slugger to a long-term deal. But if he signs elsewhere, should part of the Bombers’ Plan B include trading for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado?
New York struggled to get production from its third basemen in 2024. While Fan Graphs ranked them among the top 10 in WAR at the position, most of it came from Jazz Chisholm Jr. He accounted for 2.1 of the 3.4 total WAR at the hot corner despite playing in just 45 games after getting acquired at the trade deadline.
If Gleybers Torres leaves via free agency, Chisholm could slide back to second base next season. He played that position nearly exclusively for the Miami Marlins from 2020-22. ESPN New York’s Michael Kay doesn’t think first baseman Pete Alonso is a viable backup plan for the Yankees if Soto doesn’t re-sign. He thinks they should try taking Arenado off the Cardinals’ hands.
“The Cardinals are cleaning house,” he said. “He has a no-trade clause, but I’ve talked to Nolan Arenado. He’s a baseball guy, and he understands what works, what’s important, and the history of the game. I’d go to the Cardinals and say you eat $12 to $15 of his $31 million that he’s owed over the next couple of years, and we’ll take Nolan Arenado.”
Arenado has struggled offensively in recent years. Between 2021 and 2022, he posted consecutive campaigns of 30-plus homers, 100-plus RBI and at least a .800 OPS for St. Louis. However, he’s averaged 21 homers and 82 RBI with a .746 OPS since the start of 2023. While he’s entering his age-34 season in 2025, he’s still a productive hitter with a sterling defensive reputation backed with 10 Gold Glove Awards.
His eight-year, $260 million deal runs through 2027 and is still due to earn $52 million, per Sportrac. While St. Louis would have to pay a significant chunk of his remaining salary, this would be an interesting idea for New York to consider.
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