Yankees Unlikely To Trade For Cardinals $260 Million Superstar, Per League Sources

The St. Louis fan favorite might not be moved this winter

Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals must reduce payroll this offseason to help clear room for better investments in their broken player development system, as well as other resources.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals have had difficulty shedding payroll this winter. After three-time All-Stars Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray invoked their no-trade clauses, St. Louis has few options to cut salary spending.

After Gray and Contreras, the Cardinals have turned their focus toward trading another fan favorite. However, it's beginning to look as if the St. Louis slugger will remain with the 11-time World Series champions for at least another season.

"Speculation has circulated around the (New York) Yankees in particular, especially after Paul Goldschmidt — (Nolan) Arenado’s good friend and teammate in St. Louis for the last four seasons — signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with New York in mid-December," The Athletic's Will Sammon and Katie Woo wrote Monday night. "However, multiple league sources say that while the Yankees like Arenado, they aren’t interested in taking on the majority of his contract, something that would almost certainly need to happen from the Cardinals perspective. New York also does not have to trade for a third baseman; it can move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base and hope a healthy DJ LeMahieu can man the hot corner consistently next year."

Recent reports indicated that the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox had discussed a trade with the Cardinals for Arenado. However, the 10-time Gold Glove third baseman's three years and $74 million remaining on his contract make moving him difficult.

Arenado batted .272 with 39 extra-base hits including 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .719 OPS in 152 games played for the Cardinals in 2024.

It's challenging to find a suitor, such as the Houston Astros, willing to accept the burden of Arenado's contract. Unfortunately for the American League West rival, the six-time Platinum Glove defender doesn't want to be dealt there.

With Arenado's market continuing to shrink, it's starting to look more as if he won't be traded this winter and will return with the Cardinals in 2025.

More MLB: Cardinals Should Consider Reuniting With Former All-Star Hurler To Bolster Bullpen