The MLB trade deadline is always kind of a pressure cooker for all contending teams. One injury can alter everything. The Houston Astros learned this lesson the hard way. They had their All-Star third baseman, Isaac Paredes, go down with a serious hamstring injury. Paredes was a monster in their lineup. He carried an. 829 OPS with 19 homers this year. His loss leaves a huge void that needs to be filled right away.
Houston’s internal options are simply not enough for a championship run. They have turned to utility man Mauricio Dubón and rookie Shay Whitcomb. While Dubón is a solid player, his .715 OPS is a clear downgrade. Whitcomb, by contrast, has looked overmatched, batting so far only. 053. This unanticipated emergency has pushed the Astros squarely into the trade market. Now they are searching for the same prize as their American League rivals.
This is bad news for the New York Yankees. The Astros are one of several teams after the best available third baseman, Eugenio Suárez. MLB Deadline News broke that piece of news, posting, “The #Astros have expressed interest in #DBacks 3B Eugenio Suarez, per @francysromeroFR.” That could further escalate an already high asking price. Now the Yankees have a rival shadowing their every move for their primary target.
The #Astros have expressed interest in #DBacks 3B Eugenio Suarez, per @francysromeroFR pic.twitter.com/WMjqP1VT1z
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) July 25, 2025
Now that the market for Suárez has become more complex, something interesting has emerged. The “Foul Territory” podcast recently floated a fascinating idea. “Nolan Arenado makes too much sense for the Yankees if they can’t land Eugenio Suárez,” the show tweeted. It’s a high-risk, high-reward proposition. It proposes that the Yankees could unlock a late-career surge from the struggling Cardinals veteran. It’s a true dark horse candidate.
The former MLB player Trevor Plouffe made a compelling case in the podcast. He claimed that Nolan Arenado’s decline at the plate is a matter of where he’s playing. “I think Nolan Arenado will have extreme success if he goes to the Yankees,” Plouffe stated. He also thinks the Yankees’ advanced analytics might be able to fix Arenado’s swing. “He’s been in two organizations that are behind analytically in the Rockies and the Cardinals,” Plouffe suggested the Yankees should take the chance on a potential superstar revival.
This present General Manager Brian Cashman with a fascinating choice. Should he battle a rival for a rental slugger or take a massive gamble on a reclamation project? Plouffe’s vision sounds nice, but Arenado’s truth is brutal. The 34-year-old has a. 241 with a weak. 678 OPS. After this season, he is also owed more than $42 million. His massive contract and full no-trade clause make any deal extremely complicated and risky for the team.
The Yankees’ Third Base Black Hole
So the Yankees are in this position, of course, because of their recent positional shortcomings. They have a particularly visible void at third base this season, the position having been a turnstile of ineffective players. Oswald Peraza has played the most at the position. And guess what, he has posted a dismal slash line of .147/.208/.237. The team’s overall production from the hot corner is far below the league average. An upgrade is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity.
Outside of Suárez and Arenado, other practical options are available on the market. Ryan McMahon of the Rockies probably makes the most sense. He’s a plus defender with good left-handed power, which plays up in Yankee Stadium. McMahon is also under team control on a reasonable contract through 2027. He has a balanced and lasting solution to their problem. He is a high-floor player who fills needs on both sides of the ball.
Another possibility could be Pittsburgh’s defensive wizard, Ke’Bryan Hayes. He may probably be the best defensive third baseman in the game of baseball, but his bat is strictly triple-A-caliber, checking in with a wRC+ of 61. Adding him would help their run prevention. But that would not solve the fundamental problem offensively at the bottom of the lineup.
Either way, the clock won’t stop ticking, and the Yankees must choose their path. The very fate of their season may be riding on it.
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