The New York Yankees were warned this offseason, and they paid no heed. Now they are facing their worst nightmare! Fans and insiders told them to pay attention to their third base. There was a gap, with Juan Soto off to their crosstown rivals after all.

However, after building a solid, well-rounded team, the Yankees sought to look inwards for 3B. They wanted to depend on DJ LeMahieu for the role. Even though the player played just 67 games last season and is already in his late thirties. And as if it was luck playing a crucial joke, the Yankees’ weakest link got even weaker. Because in a dramatic way, LeMahieu injured his calf, and it’s not looking good.

Even the 36-year-old said it was an “are you kidding me” moment for him. And you bet, for the Yankees and Bronx fans, it was the same. Now, Joel Sherman had pitched a name—Jose Iglesias. For him, getting the player would address the Yankees’ weak third base issue. But alas, the Padres just stole him from under their nose.

Yes, Jose Iglesias, according to reports from MLB and even Robert Murray of Fansided, is headed to deal with the Padres. Jon Heyman of the New York Post also reports that Iglesias will get up to $3 million if he makes the roster. And also $1 million in incentives! This is huge news for the San Diego Padres, and they will bank on Iglesias’s experience and his sheer energy to maybe push them into the postseason this time around.

For the New York Yankees, this is not looking good, because they are a team that is looking for postseason glory. Won’t be wrong to say they are rooting for the ring this time around, which they missed last season. That’s why they signed Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, and so many free agents this offseason. But this mistake of ignoring 3B can come at a cost. And missing out on Iglesias is also foolishness because he is already accustomed to the New York bright lights with Mets.

Jose Iglesias, in fact, did have his MLB list of a .402 average batting against lefties last year. He also had a .337 with a .381 OBP and 4 home runs. Now he will be giving all that spark to San Diego, and sadly not the New York Yankees. But there is another name in the market still available. Will they act on time now?

New York Yankees not into Cardinals star for 3B

Well, despite the uncertainty over this position, the Yankees are not seriously pushing for Nolan Arenado. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported the Yankees as “not having been aggressive pursuers” of the St. Louis Cardinals star. Even though his team is also trying to sell him off super quick.

Arenado, meanwhile, has a full no-trade clause, meaning he gets to control where he is headed next. He already rejected a move to the Houston Astros. But even now, the Houston Astros seem to be interested. This was reported by MLB insiders like Brian McTaggart, Mark Feinsand, and even John Denton. Now, things have changed, and these insiders believe that Arenado may be interested in moving to Houston since they added Christian Walker to first base. This makes things for the Yankees more dodgy.

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But the biggest roadblock of no deal in the picture is the financials. The Cardinals are looking to trim their payroll because of their uncertain regional television revenue. That also means that they won’t be able to cover much of the $74 million left on Arenado’s contract. If he was still playing at his 2022 level, teams might have pondered more. But his numbers have dipped and may be the reason the Yankees won’t look his way.

For now the Yankees will bank on Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza to compete for the role. It’s only on March 27 that everyone will know if that decision was the best as they gave the Milwaukee Brewers.