Cardinals-Yankees Trade Would Stun Baseball World At This Point

The Cardinals and Yankees don't align well at this point...

Apr 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Yankees baseball hats and gloves in the dugout out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images

At this point, it should be considered extremely unlikely that the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees get any trade done this season involving third baseman Nolan Arenado.

There’s no reason to believe that these two teams are going to get any deal done. There haven't been rumors lately about the two sides talking to one another. Arenado has been talked about a lot, in general. New York makes sense in the sense that it could use a boost at third base and recently had a serious injury, but there’s no concrete buzz linking the two. In fact, most reports about the two sides have explicitly said a deal is unlikely, including The Athletic's Mark Puleo and Brendan Kuty who called a deal "unlikely" just this week.

It hasn’t stopped ridiculous chatter, though, and Garrett Kerman of ClutchPoints floated a three-for-one deal to send Arenado to New York.

"The Perfect Trade Proposal," Kerman said. "The ideal trade must satisfy both teams’ needs: the Yankees receive a superstar third baseman, while the Cardinals get a package of premium prospects and financial relief. Here’s the proposal that checks every box:

"Yankees Receive: Nolan Arenado (and) Cardinals Receive: Bryce Cunningham, Roderick Arias, and Cam Schlitter. The Yankees acquire Nolan Arenado, with the Cardinals sending $25 million to help cover the remaining salary. In return, St. Louis receives three of New York’s top prospects: right-handed pitcher Bryce Cunningham, shortstop Roderick Arias, and right-handed pitcher Cam Schlitter."

There is no chance a deal like this happens at this moment. The biggest reason why Arenado and the Yankees haven't had more trade buzz is their already extremely high payroll. Sending $25 million to the Cardinals and taking the rests of Arenado's deal on itself seems high with their current financial committments.

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