The New York Yankees have had links to Nolan Arenado since the last offseason. With talks really staying with the Cardinals and Dodgers mainly, the Yankees haven’t been in the trade talks this offseason. The Yankees seemed to be ready to gear up for 2020 with no major trades or signings anywhere in sight until the gambling ods came out recently. At +300, the Yankees were surprisingly the favorites to land Nolan Arenado for Week 1 of the MLB season. Does this mean that us Yankees fans should get excited and start pushing for Arenado? No, no you do not want an extra $30+ million dollar contract for a man who has a sub-.800 OPS outside of Coors Field.
Overrated Star
Nolan Arenado is a top 5 3B in baseball, but he’s not the type of player you trade your entire future for. He’s going to be 29 in April, and he has definitely benefited from Coors Field. He has an issue being above average outside of Coors Field, with 516 games outside of Coors and was mediocre:
Away
2169 PA
.265/.323/.476
98 HR
.799 OPS
71 tOPS+
20.031 AB/HR
6.01 PA/SO
Home
2188 PA
.324/.380/.615
129 HR
.995 OPS
121 tOPS+
15.295 AB/HR
7.22 PA/SO
You realize that the Yankees would pay a fortune for someone who’s below average outside of Coors Field right?
The Price is Not Even Close to Right
The New York Yankees would have to most likely have to use their farm system to get Arenado. He’d cost either an Andujar, Frazier, or Florial. That’s not even the worst part, the Yankees would need to give up guys like Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, or Michael King for him. Those are top prospect talents to give up and that’s without the contract even being brought up. There would be $32.5 million to pay every single year until he is 35. Are there opt-outs? Of course! A player option though, meaning after 2021 he can say “Good Bye!” and go and get a more ludicrous deal somewhere else while your traded prospects go and have nice careers and you realize you’ve burned money you could’ve spent on some depth. No way should the Yankees do that.
Lineup Isn’t A Concern
The New York Yankees can quite literally have 10+ guys with a .800 OPS in 2020. From Aaron Judge to Mike Ford, the Yankees don’t have any shortage of talent in that lineup. If you’re going to trade away the future, do it for a gaping hole, something the Yankees do not have. They shouldn’t hoard prospects, but they shouldn’t just throw them away either. A good farm can be crucial for trade at the right time. When you hit 300+ home runs while setting the record for most injuries, your team is fine.
The need for a Nolan Arenado isn’t there, and overpaying for him is a mistake the Yankees should let a more desperate team make.