Insider Believes Rival Red Sox Are Likely To Land New York Yankees Star Trade Target

The New York Yankees have a clear gap at one position on the field despite a solid offseason to this point after filling some of the holes in their lineup after the departure of Juan Soto to the New York Mets.

While the lineup is in decent shape relative to where it was at the end of last year, the third base situation is looking tenuous at best.

The Yankees seem set to give veteran DJ LeMahieu another shot with Oswaldo Cabrera in line if things don't work out again for the oft-injured former star, but there's no one on the roster who inspires confidence that the hot corner won't be a liability.

For this reason, New York has been connected throughout the winter to some of the hottest names available both in free agency and in the trade market.

Over the weekend, it was reported the Yankees had re-engaged in trade talks with the St. Louis Cardinals for 10-time Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado, and while his performance has begun to decline similar to former teammate and current New York first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, he would be a major upgrade from what's in place now.

Yankees fans hoping to see Arenado end up in pinstripes got a dose of reality on Tuesday from ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, who called both New York and the Los Angeles Dodgers "long shots." He said the common belief is the Boston Red Sox make the most sense and are the most likely destination.

Arenado's last truly elite season was two years ago when he finished third in National League MVP voting - ironically behind Goldschmidt - and continued his consecutive Gold Glove streak which ended the following year in 2023.

His 2.5 WAR in 2024 is a far cry from the 7.7 mark he had in 2022, but it would still be significantly better than anything LeMahieu is capable of giving the team barring something unforeseen.

With a .272 batting average and .719 OPS this past season, Arenado is far from the black hole in a lineup the Yankees are currently looking at while also still bringing an elite glove.

Him winding up with the Red Sox would hurt both from the perspective of missing out on the future Hall of Famer, but also the fact Boston is taking steps to get back to contention and seem to be a factor in 2025 unlike what they've been for the last three seasons.

New York seems set on not pursuing a top of the market name like Houston Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman, so bringing in Arenado would be the next best thing at this point.

The Yankees shouldn't overpay in a trade package to get Arenado just to keep him away from Fenway Park, but a serious pursuit at the very least isn't a whole lot to ask for given the alternative of rolling with what's currently in the clubhouse.

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