Is a blockbuster trade on the table for the 2025 New York Yankees?
For most of the first half, the Yankees have held a comfortable lead atop the American League East. The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays are beginning to push them, but New York maintains a 1 1/2-game lead at 48-36.
If there's a dream deadline trade target for New York, it's third base. That would enable them to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base, his natural position, and in a perfect world, balance out the lineup with one more solid hitter.
The Yankees were a team nearly everyone expected to go after St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado in the offseason, but they never made a strong push for the eight-time All-Star. Could the trade deadline be the last-ditch opportunity they were waiting for?
On Tuesday, Yahoo Sports insider Russell Dorsey named Arenado as one of the Yankees' prospective targets for this season's deadline (Jul. 31 at 6 p.m. EST).
"New York has been looking for someone to fill the void at third for a while, and at this point, having tried all the internal options, the fix is going to have to come from outside the organization," Dorsey wrote. "Potential targets: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals)."
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Arenado, 34, has just a .701 OPS and 1.2 bWAR this season. Everything about his profile says he's regressing, but the same could have been said of longtime Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who has looked a lot better in Yankee pinstripes this season at age 37.
The bigger question is the contract. The Cardinals still owe Arenado over $50 million through 2027. If the Yankees were willing to take on a decent portion of that, they might be able to land the 10-time Gold Glover even with St. Louis currently right in the thick of the playoff race.
Ultimately, there are more likely trade targets the Yankees could pursue, but this fit has been discussed enough that it should surprise no one if it finally comes to pass.
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