Insider Links Yankees to Trade for 8-time All-Star With Full No-Trade Clause
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The New York Yankees have had DJ LeMahieu playing second base and Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the hot corner on a regular basis. However, it may be time for a change.
LeMahieu has a .658 OPS and Chisholm is a better defender at second base than in the hot corner. The Yankees could upgrade their bench by moving LeMahieu out of the regular starting lineup and acquiring a starting third baseman. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan linked the Yankees to a trade for Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Arenado started off the year strong, but now he is hitting .251 with a .718 OPS. While he is not as great as he once was, he still plays elite defense and would be an upgrade over LeMahieu offensively.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 28: Nolan Arenado #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single against the San Diego Padres in the tenth inning at Busch Stadium on...
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 28: Nolan Arenado #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single against the San Diego Padres in the tenth inning at Busch Stadium on August 28, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. MoreArenado is arguably the best third baseman of this generation. He is an eight-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, 10-time Gold Glover and six-time Platinum Glover. He has two-plus years left on his eight-year, $260 million deal.
A defense with Chisholm back at second base and Arenado manning the hot corner would be significantly better than the Yankees' current alignment. Additionally, LeMahieu would then be on the bench, giving Aaron Boone a better option than Oswald Peraza.
While a trade for Arenado may solve the Yankees' infield woes, it would not be easy to pull off. Arenado has a full no-trade clause, and the Yankees were not on his original list of teams from the offseason that he would be willing to waive the clause for.
More MLB: Astros Pushing for Left-Handed Bats; Could $100 Million Slugger be Good Fit?
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