Could Yankees acquire Cardinals elite defensive infielder to play first base?
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The New York Yankees could find themselves the benefactors of opportune timing this offseason. The Yankees could use a boost at first base. Current starter Anthony Rizzo, 35, is aging and is no longer the player he once was. Though only two years his junior, St. Louis Cardinals superstar Nolan Arenado, 33, could be a perfect fit to replace Rizzo in New York.
Yankees could upgrade at 1B by trading for Nolan Arenado
B/R Walk Off relayed a report from The Athletic’s Katie Woo who revealed that Arenado is willing to play 1B to be a more attractive option for trade suitors.
Arenado is a third baseman through and through. He has not played a second of his 12-year MLB career at any other position. That being said, the generational talent has been a defensive force. The 10-time Gold Glove Award winner notched an MLB-leading 103 putouts and a .977 fielding percentage among all third basemen in 2024.
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That’s especially critical if he were to move across the diamond to the three slot. He’d be a sure option to get sluggers out at first and erase base hit opportunities. Arenado did take a slight step back in the power department at the plate, hitting 16 home runs on the previous campaign. That was his second-lowest total since his rookie year. However, he did drive in 71 RBIs behind a .272 batting average and .719 OPS.
Thus, he could drive in runs for the Yankees out of Rizzo’s sixth or seventh slot in the batting order or get the offense going again when up to bat. Especially if superstar slugger Juan Soto walks in free agency, the eight-time All-Star would be a great player to pursue to help them capture the World Series in 2025.
