The New York Yankees have been busy this offseason but they still have a major void to fill at third base. Plenty of fans would love to see a big name free agent like Alex Bregman or an expensive trade target like Nolan Arenado come in to solidify Aaron Boone’s infield.
According to Yankees insider Jack Curry that is not a likely course of action for GM Brian Cashman. He reports that New York did try to swap Marcus Stroman for Arenado earlier in the offseason but were rebuffed by the Cardinals. Curry believes the only reason that deal was palatable for the front office is because it was largely a “salary swap.”
Bregman can be signed without a trade but Curry believes that is not a “road” the Yankees want to go down. He’s going to command a lucrative, multi-year contract and there are concerns about how his right-handed swing would play at Yankee Stadium. It’s clear Bregman would give the team a boost in 2025 but the out years of any contract he receives are a risk the Yankees aren’t prepared to take on.
One other interesting nugget from Curry’s piece is the note that Cashman did not mention Jazz Chisholm as a potential option at third base during the press conference announcing the signing of Max Fried. Presumably, that means Chisholm will go back to his more natural second base position in 2025. Slotting him in at second comfortably allows the Yankees to let Gleyber Torres leave in free agency.
The decision not to move for either Bregman or Arenado is a clear signal that Cashman is continuing to prioritize future flexibility over maximizing the team’s 2025 win total. That’s a defensible strategy but it’s not a plan that will placate Yankee fans who are desperate to see their favorite team end their lengthy World Series drought.
It’s also a risky strategy in response to the departure of Juan Soto in free agency. Pressure will be heaped on the Yankees to outperform their crosstown rivals who “stole” Soto away from them. Anything less than a World Series title will also be deemed a failure for Cashman and the team’s leadership since Soto got them that far in his only season in pinstripes.
There’s still time for the Yankees to pounce on a big-name third baseman if market prices drop but the odds favor an internal solution at the moment. That means it’s very possible they will go into Opening Day with an achilles heel at the hot corner.