Yankees make surprise Nolan Arenado trade decision after roster move

Peter Chawaga

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Yankees make surprise Nolan Arenado trade decision after roster move image

The New York Yankees are sitting in first place in the American League East division after a dramatic offseason, but there’s one item on their roster checklist that they’ve been unable to address.

With an 18-13 record, the Yankees have enjoyed major contributions from newcomers like Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt. Along with a record-setting start from Aaron Judge and the emergence of youngsters like Ben Rice and Jasson Domínguez, the team has successfully transitioned away from Juan Soto.

But Yankees insider Andy Martino noted that there is one offseason need the team has yet to fulfill.

“Ever since spring training, the Yankees’ top trade priority has been a right-handed bat,” Martino wrote for SNY. “The idea is to give Boone a better option than Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza against tough lefty relievers.”

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Given that need, the team’s lack of options at third base and the St. Louis Cardinals’ desires to rebuild around some younger talent, speculation has swirled around a potential Yankees trade for eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado.

That speculation was not necessarily quelled even after the Yankees picked up righty Bryan De La Cruz off of waivers from the Atlanta Braves in a significant roster move. De La Cruz was immediately optioned to Triple-A, but he’s available to become the replacement for Reyes or Peraza.

“The team will surely keep looking” for a right-handed addition, Martino noted.

Martino also offered a surprising update on the Yankees’ interest in Arenado, reporting that the team has never even considered a trade to bring him to New York, despite the rampant predictions and potential fit. 

“As for Arenado, the next time that the Yankees are interested will be the first time,” Martino wrote.

Apparently, the Yankees have made the decision that an Arenado trade is untenable, perhaps because of his salary, and are sticking with that decision even after adding De La Cruz.

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Peter Chawaga

Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.

With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.