The New York Yankees are in a perfect position at the moment, standing atop the American League East chart. However, a dark cloud looms over them ever since Juan Soto signed with the Mets, and now it’s Oswaldo Cabrera, who has been sidelined with a fractured ankle. Due to the black hole in the third base, speculations and rumors swirl in the air of a potential trade between the Yankees and a $260 million star of the St. Louis Cardinals. Now, amid the speculation, the Yankees’ general manager has broken his silence on the matter.

Ever since Oswaldo Cabrera was out, the Yankees have been under pressure to cover their third base. Although nothing is confirmed yet, the Cardinals’ star Nolan Arenado has been linked with both the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. While some insiders even say that the Yankees do not want to get him, it cannot be denied that Arenado has the potential to fill in the gap.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, when asked about whether the team needs a third baseman, said, “We’ll see. It’s hard to make improvements this part of the season. We’ve got what we’ve got. We’ll assess it and move forward with opportunities as they start to present themselves at whatever positions they do.”

Brian Cashman has got a point, though!

After their former star, Juan Soto, left the Yankees and signed with the New York Mets for a massive $765 million, it was a heartbreak for many. Not just in terms of the emotions that many fans had regarding him, but also because it left a massive gap in their lineup. The Yankees, though, signed the left-hander Max Fried for a $218 million contract and also Paul Goldschmidt for a one-year, $12.5 million deal along with Cody Bellinger, who got traded from the Cubs; the gap hasn’t been filled quite effectively.

Cashman, though, praised Goldschmidt, who has been hitting well and Bellinger, who has finally got back his swing. “You try to go to the marketplace and figure things out between what we have and what we don’t have and try to run into some opportunities. They’ve been doing what we’d hoped,” Cashman said. However, he remains optimistic of improving things more after their win by 5-2 against the Texas Rangers.

However, now that the Yankees’ Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas are playing at third base and Cashman has yet to make a decision regarding whether to bring Nolan Arenado or not, the trade seems unlikely. But a question remains.

Can the $260M Cardinals star be a good bet for the Yankees?

Well, it might be too early to say anything. However, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, “The St. Louis Cardinals are not receiving any interest in third baseman Nolan Arenado after he rejected trades this winter to the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels.” This clearly means that the New York Yankees might not have shown any interest as well. Is it because Arenado is expensive or he isn’t productive enough?

Nolan Arenado has posted only five home runs this season, 21 RBIs, at an average of .242 with a .313 OBP and a .695 OPS. While the trade deadline is still a few months away, the stats do not justify a player of Arenado’s calibre.

However, not to forget that he has a stellar career record where he has posted 346 home runs, 1153 RBIs, a .284 batting average, a .341 OBP and a .853 OPS. Despite struggles this season, the Yankees might feel that a change in environment could bring out his best and also provide a major boost to their roster.

But for that, we have to wait and watch to find out whether the New York Yankees finally get Nolan Arenado in their lineup or not. Do you think they will?