Yankees insider Jack Curry throws ice water all over Nolan Arenado rumors

Ballpark fit at Yankee Stadium? Working against the Yankees and Nolan Arenado. Downward trajectory and worrisome injury history? Working against the Yankees and Nolan Arenado. Multi-year contract for an uncertain future? Working against the Yankees and Nolan Arenado. A few stray Instagram likes and the presence of his old teammate, Paul Goldschmidt, in pinstripes? Working towards a union between the Yankees and Nolan Arenado.

Gee, which dueling fate is going to win out? An avalanche of evidence to the contrary, or a couple of online hearts?

According to Yankees insider Jack Curry during Monday night's edition of YES Hot Stove, it's time to slow everyone's roll. Slow it to a crawl. Burn it to a crisp. Let us never speak of this roll again.

Curry's spent weeks indicating that he didn't believe the Yankees viewed Arenado as a viable option, but with the rumors increasing in velocity and severity, he went a little blunter with his message on Monday. No, the Yankees are not in on this particular player. They're not in on Alex Bregman, either (who seems likely to go to the Red Sox, Tigers, or Mets).

In fact, Curry went as far as to say that recent reports of the Yankees offering Marcus Stroman's contract in exchange for Arenado, then turning away when St. Louis balked, are also untrue.

Yankees reportedly out on Nolan Arenado, Alex Bregman

St. Louis reporters John Denton and Derrick Goold have been all over the fit in previous columns, and MLB's Mark Feinsand reported on Arenado's rumored interest in approving a deal to the Yankees in the wake of Goldschmidt's arrival. But if it was never officially offered, he can't approve or deny it. The beat goes on.

Three years of Arenado had the potential to reveal a catastrophic aging curve in the Bronx, and for now, we'll operate under the assumption that it isn't happening. Unfortunately, while adding Arenado seemed quite bad, leaving a variable hole at either second or third base would be even worse. The Yankees' fear of potentially having two DJ LeMahieus seems to have left them with ... one DJ LeMahieu, which still won't help matters.

The Yankees have two months left to figure this out. And they have work to do. Ruling out Arenado is only step one of a two-step process, with the back half being far more difficult to navigate.