Yankees Connection to Cardinals Gold Glover Growing

The New York Yankees shocked the league and the entire world of baseball yesterday when they announced their decision to designate infielder DJ LeMahieu for assignment. LeMahieu was unhappily benched after Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved from third base back to second, leading to the decision to DFA him. The Pinstripes made it clear they're looking for solutions ahead of the trade deadline.

Lots of names have been linked to the Yankees at third. Now, Sports Illustrated's Karl Rasmussen is the latest to suggest New York should target St. Louis Cardinals' 10-time Gold Glover Nolan Arenado.

"Nolan Arenado may not be the slugger he was during his prime with the Colorado Rockies, but he's still a gifted defensive third baseman who can still flash some pop from time to time. Areando has 10 home runs and 41 RBIs in 81 games for the Cardinals this season," he wrote.

"He's touching career lows across his entire slash line, but his .694 OPS is only just below the league average mark of .715. An Arenado trade was discussed during the offseason but never came to fruition. Considering the Yankees' defensive woes, having Arenado's glove in the infield would be a worthy acquisition," Rasmussen continued.

While Arenado wouldn't be a perfect fit for the Yankees' dominant offensive lineup, he offers what the Pinstripes have been struggling with during their mid-season slump: confidence and competence at third base. While Chisholm wasn't doing a terrible job at third after he returned from injury, it's clear that he is his best at second. Paul Goldschmidt, a former teammate of Arenado's, has never played a position other than first base his entire 15-year MLB career, and excels at the job, so it would be unwise to move him now.

For the time being, Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas are splitting duties at third base, according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone. There's a possibility for J.C. Escarra to step in, too. While Peraza, who is the top choice while Oswaldo Cabrera is out for an extended period of time due to injury, did well in the two most recent games at third, it's clear the Yankees are not expecting him to be a long-term solution. Arenado, however, could be another story.

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