STANTON, ELBOWS & TRADE TALK

Well, well, well—just when you thought the Yankees’ spring training couldn’t get any weirder, we have the continued elbow saga of Giancarlo Stanton. Naturally, Yankees manager Aaron Boone handled it with his trademark mix of smoke, mirrors, and word salad, saying Stanton left for “personal matters.” Whatever that means.

Now, instead of focusing on actual baseball, we’re diving headfirst into trade rumor season... again. The Yankees apparently need a new bat to cover for Stanton, and who better to ignite that fire than resident baseball hot-take artist, Jim Duquette?

The Yankees are juggling three problems: a hole at third base, concern over Stanton’s elbow, and an increasingly grumpy Marcus Stroman. During an SNY-TV segment on Wednesday, Duquette suggested the Yankees set their sights on St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado:

"I like that as an option for the Yankees," Duquette said. "He's already said he's willing to go to the Yankees. You could do a swap between Arenado and Stroman. ... From the Yankees' side of things, they need a third baseman more than they need the sixth starter in Stroman. Plus, we know Stroman won't be happy in that position. ... I think this is one to keep an eye on later in the spring."

Sure, Jim. Let’s just trade a starting pitcher for a platinum-gloved third baseman like we’re swapping baseball cards at recess. Never mind that we’ve been talking about a potential Arenado-Stroman deal since December, and nothing has changed—except for Stanton’s sudden exit.

But let’s be real: this doesn’t look like a long-term issue for Stanton. I might be joking here, but I’m starting to wonder if he’s being a bit soft. As a pro athlete who treats his body like a temple, is his elbow pain really that bad? Color me skeptical.

And as much as I love a good blockbuster trade, bringing in Arenado feels like buying a new car because your old one has a flat tire. Why commit to a hefty long-term contract just to cover a short-term problem?

What do you think? Is Duquette onto something, or are the Yankees better off keeping their chips off the table for now?