Releasing former All-Star DJ LeMahieu was clearly the beginning of something for the New York Yankees.
LeMahieu was clogging up second base in New York, which needed to be opened up for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to return to his natural position. The Yankees didn't think LeMahieu could handle third, so they cut him loose and ate the last $22 million on his contract.
Though Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza are slated to take over third base duties for the time being, the Yankees look primed to acquire a third baseman on the trade market. It's more a question of who will be available and who they'll be willing to pay a premium to acquire.
CBS Sports' Mike Axisa thinks the Yankees could wind up executing a deal that's been speculated to happen for months.
On Thursday, Axisa named St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado as a potential trade fit for the Yankees in the wake of the LeMahieu move.
"The biggest name on the third-base trade market. The Yankees pursued Arenado in the offseason, reportedly offering Marcus Stroman in a one-for-one trade, though that didn't go anywhere," Axisa wrote.
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"Arenado, 34, is in decline offensively as well, his defense is slipping (but still very good), and he's owed $40 million through 2027. The Yankees would replace LeMahieu with a player who is a year or two away from being another LeMahieu. Still, Arenado is likely to be available (the Cardinals spent all winter trying to trade him) and he would be a considerable upgrade over Peraza, even if he's no longer the player he was in his prime."
Arenado's bat seems to be about league average these days--101 OPS+ last season, 95 this year. He's got four defensive runs saved at thid base, but the bet the Yankees would be making is that his bat would come back alive.
That's not the safest gamble for an aging righty at Yankee Stadium, but it's also paid off for ex-Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt.
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