Spring training has finally arrived! After a long winter break, the New York Yankees have undergone quite the overhaul. However, there are still a few lingering concerns. For one, there are the injuries to veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton who is a key part of the Yankee lineup. Replacing Stanton’s spot in the batting order will require a reliable hitter, something the Yankees’ overall depth seems to lack. But this isn’t their largest concern. After letting Gleyber Torres walk, the Yankees are left with few reliable infield replacements. And with Stanton’s injury, this spot in the batting order has become all the more important.

Despite a thorough search on both the trade and free agent markets, Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has come up empty thus far. However, there have been some whispers of hope. St. Louis Cardinals’ general manager John Moleziak, who has been more than eager to dump salary where he can, recently discussed a potential trade with the Yankees regarding veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado.

In 2024, Arenado hit .272/.325/.394/.719 with 16 home runs. His defense at third has been invaluable for both the Rockies and Cardinals winning 10 Gold Gloves in his 12-year career. At a glance, his numbers have been on a steep decline. Even still, both his offensive production and his glovework are a vast improvement over what the Yankees’ internal options have produced in recent years. His bat could easily provide another pivotal layer of depth rounding out a solid Yankees lineup from top to bottom. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Yankees are interested.

MLB insider Jon Heyman reports the Yankees have no interest in Arenado

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees are not interested in trading for Arenado. Heyman had this to report in the New York Post:

“Despite not having a clear-cut 3B, the Yankees continue to have no interest in Nolan Arenado, as they see him as being on the decline. They also have no money left (and he has $74 million to go over three years).”

Cashman, who has been adamant about finding an infielder, made his search contingent on a budget. Either he would find cheap help or he would unload Marcus Stroman’s contract to free up money. With Stroman still in the fold, Arenado appears out of the question.

For now, it seems the Yankees are going forward with plans to let DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera battle for third base. Collectively, this trio hit .229 with 10 home runs through 510 at-bats last season.

Only ten of these at-bats belong to Peraza who is the least experienced of the three. Peraza showed promise when he made his debut in 2022 but has since regressed. A slew of injuries the past couple of years has limited his chances of proving himself on the major league level.

Of the three, the 36-year-old LeMahieu (will be 37 this season) is thought to be the early front-runner. The former batting champion has slowed significantly after dealing with a series of debilitating injuries. Both his health and his bat will remain in focus until he can allay these concerns.

The situation at third base doesn’t look very promising for the Yankees, but this is likely what fans should come to expect on Opening Day. One can only hope the Yankees’ lack of interest in Arenado is really just a play for leverage. But for now, it looks like we can rule out an Arenado trade.