Yankees Expected to ‘Ramp Up’ Trade Talks for Dodgers Target
It might come as a surprise that the Los Angeles Dodgers are still looking to improve their roster, but if the front office has shown anything over the past few years, it’s that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win a World Series. The Dodgers are coming off an impressive campaign a year ago, winning it all, but aren’t satisfied, and that was evident by the moves they made during this winter. Recent reports indicated that the Dodgers are interested in trading for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, a move that would come as a surprise given who’s already on Los Angeles’ roster. Arenado is one of the better players in Major League Baseball when he’s at his best, but at 33 years old and only getting older, he’s had a few rough campaigns in recent seasons. The Dodgers could still view him as an upgrade, and they have the pieces to move in a trade. However, according to John Denton of MLB.com, the New York Yankees and Cardinals are now expected to “ramp up” trade talks for Arenado after the Alex Bregman news.
“Bregman agrees with the #RedSox – always Boston’s preference over trading for #STLCards third baseman Nolan Arenado as reported by MLB.com. With the Red Sox out of the mix, the Cardinals expect to ramp up Arenado trade talks with the #Yankees, per a source,” Denton wrote. If the Dodgers want the future Hall of Famer, they have to get a move on. It isn’t the end-all-be-all if he doesn’t end up in Los Angeles, but if the Dodgers are still looking to improve, the Yankees loom large and coach poach him.
“Bregman agrees with the #RedSox – always Boston’s preference over trading for #STLCards third baseman Nolan Arenado as reported by MLB.com. With the Red Sox out of the mix, the Cardinals expect to ramp up Arenado trade talks with the #Yankees, per a source,” Denton wrote. If the Dodgers want the future Hall of Famer, they have to get a move on. It isn’t the end-all-be-all if he doesn’t end up in Los Angeles, but if the Dodgers are still looking to improve, the Yankees loom large and coach poach him.
There are so many options on this team — from up-and-comers such as Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo to crucial frontline starters such as Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez — but let’s go with the reliever known simply as “The Mountain.” The last time we saw the 6-foot-8, 285-pound Bautista, he was mowing down hitters with ease at the end of games, posting a 1.48 ERA and striking out 110 of 237 batters before Tommy John surgery ended his 2023 season.
The Orioles greatly missed Bautista last season; his replacement, Craig Kimbrel, put up a 5.33 ERA before his release in late September. Now Bautista is back, unrestricted. And any uncertainty the Orioles might have in their starting rotation will at least be partly made up for by a return to dominance in the ninth inning.
