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Nolan Arenado trade rumors abound, and much of the gossip connects the third baseman to the New York Yankees. But the Bombers would be wise to stay far away from the St. Louis Cardinals star.
The Yankees are retooling their infield this offseason. They have the option to let Gleyber Torres walk in free agency and possibly move Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the hot corner to second base — opening the door for Arenado.
Once a star with a platinum glove and a powerful bat, Arenado is rapidly declining. After averaging 37 homers in the seven full seasons he played between 2015 and 2022, the 33-year-old’s pop has vanished. He managed just 16 in 152 games last season.
Some of Arenado’s power numbers may have been inflated by the fact that he played in the thin Denver air to start his career. As soon as he moved to St. Louis, his HR numbers began declining. In his four years as a Cardinal, he’s hit 34, 30, 26, and 16 long balls, respectively.
And as he’s a right-handed pull hitter, Yankee Stadium’s roomy left field could exacerbate that steady decrease.
Another reason the Yankees shouldn’t consider Arenado is the fact that he grounds into too many double plays (in MLB’s top-10 twice in the past three years). More GIDPs are the last thing New York needs.
The Yankees already have two of the league’s most likely double play victims in Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Thanks in large part to those two sluggers, the Bombers led MLB in grounding into double plays in 2024, with 138.
Arenado would make the Yankees older and slower, and would exacerbate an already existing issue for the team. Bombers fans don’t want to watch yet another former superstar rot in pinstripes.
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