Yankees: 3 stars NYY can realistically acquire at the trade deadline

2. Nolan Arenado

A Nolan Arenado-Yankees union has been talked about for a few years now.

Will it happen? Probably not. But it’s certainly realistic when you break it down from both sides.

The Colorado Rockies just endured a slide in which they lost 12 of 14, which has them right back in the thick of it with all of the other NL teams vying for a Wild Card spot at 16-15. That’s not entirely great, especially since they’ll be seeing the Padres, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Athletics and Giants the rest of the way. Not easy.

On top of that, we don’t know where the team’s relationship with Nolan Arenado stands. It was tense in the offseason when he openly called out the front office and we know he’s got that opt-out clause after the 2021 season. If he’s still in Colorado at that point, what we know thus far suggests he’ll be exercising that.

But if he’s in a winning environment and one of the faces of a new franchise? Perhaps he keeps the deal or requests a little re-work. Why wouldn’t he want to play the hot corner for the New York Yankees? If he does, New York has the ammo to trade for him and there’s little reason the Rockies wouldn’t listen to a package headlined by Gio Urshela and Clint Frazier.

Colorado might want to cash in if they don’t get it together by the end of the weekend. This 60-game sprint won’t be easy, and if they wave the white flag, we don’t think anyone would be surprised if Arenado is dealt.

And as we previously suggested … maybe throw in left-handed starter Kyle Freeland for good measure. Wink wink.