Yankees Clear Path to Trade for $260 Million Star With Latest Move

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Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The New York Yankees remain hard at work retooling what was a World Series roster last season.

New York’s latest move was the signing of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022, to a $12.5 million contract. While meaningful, inking the 37-year-old and seven-time All-Star is potentially a bigger deal because of the door it opens for the Yankees to add another quality infielder at a position of need.

Star third baseman Nolan Arenado spent the last four years alongside Goldschmidt in St. Louis and is among the best players potentially available on the trade market this offseason. The Yankees have already shown interest in Arenado, and MLB.com detailed how the team’s acquisition of its new first baseman could impact its pursuit of Arenado.

“Sources added that the veteran first baseman’s … presence in New York could have a strong influence on former teammate Nolan Arenado waiving his no-trade clause and agreeing to play for the Yankees if New York pursues a trade with St. Louis for the 10-time Gold Glove winner,” MLB.com wrote Friday. “The Yankees approached the Cardinals earlier this offseason about a deal for Arenado, sources said, but they were rebuffed because St. Louis had no interest in taking on the contract of veteran right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman.”

Arenado, 33, has three seasons remaining on his eight-year, $260 million deal.

Yankees Not Among Teams Nolan Arenado Had on Initial Top-6 List

GettyNolan Arenado (left) of the St. Louis Cardinals and former teammate Paul Goldschmidt (right).

Arenado’s no-trade clause significantly complicates any deal, and he did not name the Yankees on a list of six franchises to which he would sign off on a trade just 10 days ago.

Those teams were the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, according to John Denton of MLB.com.

However, the Yankees may now be the seventh team on that list and are certainly motivated to add an infielder on that side of the diamond. New York probably prefers to move Jazz Chisolm Jr. back to second base in 2025, which leaves third base the one glaring hole remaining in the infield.

Alex Bregman Option if Nolan Arenado Falls Through

GettyHouston Astros infielder Alex Bregman.

If Arenado’s position hasn’t changed and/or if one of the teams on his original list of six comes with circumstances he prefers, the Yankees have another option in free agent Alex Bregman, most recently of the Houston Astros.

Jeff Passan of ESPN detailed a handful of teams in contention for Bregman, should they decide to pursue him, and included the Yankees among that group.

“Bregman’s payday could be in the $200 million range as well. [His market remains] strong because a number of teams still have big money to spend,” Passan wrote. “The Yankees could move Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third to second base, and the Mets could make a similar infield shuffle with Mark Vientos shifting to first.”

However, Jon Morosi of MLB Network subsequently reported that the Red Sox have edged ahead of the field in terms of the pursuit of Bregman.

“I’m getting the sense that the Red Sox are more of a possibility than the New York Yankees at the moment,” Morosi said.

If the Red Sox are able to land Bregman, that makes New York’s ability to get in on the Arenado bidding that much more important to their immediate prospects to return to the World Series next October.

Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible