It’s no secret that the New York Yankees‘ top priority is to retain superstar outfielder Juan Soto in free agency.
However, the Yankees still have several holes in their infield to fill, whether they bring back Soto or not.
One direction they could take is on the trade market, where a proven veteran is expected to be available this offseason in St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.
As Katie Woo of The Athletic reported earlier in the week, the growing belief throughout the industry is that Arenado will be traded. Per Woo, Arenado is willing to move to first base to create roster flexibility if he is dealt to a new team.
If the Yankees were to acquire Arenado they could stick him at third and move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to his natural position at second base. New York has an opening at first base after the departure of Anthony Rizzo, so Arenado could potentially fill this spot as well.
Matt Snyder of CBS Sports listed the Yankees as a top landing spot for Arenado this offseason if he is traded.
“The top priority this offseason for the Yankees is obviouslyJuan Soto,” Snyder wrote. “Once the dust settles there, we’ll see where they stand. They have an opening at first base after letting Anthony Rizzo walk in free agency. They could also put Arenado at third and play Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second. Such a move would improve the Yankees’ defense — which proved to be their undoing in Game 5 of the World Series — but the ballpark doesn’t do Arenado’s bat any favors, given how little he ever hits the ball to right field.”
Arenado is owed $52 million over the final three years of his contract. He will be 34-years-old in the 2025 season, but has remained a strong defender at third base, producing 10 Outs Above Average last year.
The 10-time Gold Glover and eight-time All-Star had a bit of a drop off in terms of power in 2024, slashing .272/.325/.394 with a .719 OPS, 16 home runs and 71 RBIs in 152 games.
That being said, Arenado was an All-Star in 2023 and finished third in the NL MVP race in 2022. If Arenado is plugged into the Yankees’ lineup with Aaron Judge, and potentially Soto, he will likely produce as an impact bat if given proper protection.
