As of February 25, 2025, there have been no reports indicating that the New York Yankees have acquired Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals. In fact, recent developments suggest that the Yankees are not pursuing a trade for Arenado. According to a report from the New York Post, the Yankees have expressed no interest in acquiring Arenado due to his perceived decline and the remaining financial commitments of $74 million over three years.
Additionally, the Yankees’ primary issue lies at third base, where they are currently holding an open tryout for the position. Despite assembling a strong team with talents like Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, the Yankees have hit their financial limit with a payroll around $308 million, and no outside help is expected. Longtime star third baseman Nolan Arenado is available, but the Yankees are not interested due to his suspected decline and budget constraints.
Therefore, the notion of a “genius trade heist” involving Nolan Arenado moving to the Bronx in a win-win deal that fixes the Cardinals’ nightmare is not supported by current information. Instead, the Yankees are focusing on internal solutions to address their third base situation, with no external trades anticipated at this time.
The St. Louis Cardinals signaled a dramatic shift this offseason, abandoning their longtime “win-now” mantra to embrace a full-scale rebuild. After years of clinging to an aging veteran core, the franchise cut ties with key players like Kyle Gibson and Paul Goldschmidt in free agency—and rumors now swirl that All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado could be next. While moving Arenado won’t be easy (he holds a no-trade clause and is owed $50+ million), the Yankees have emerged as a stealthy suitor with the cash and motive to pull off a stunning deal.
