The dream trade for the Yankees has been a move for Cardinals 3B Nolan Arenado, but that dream seems to already be dead.

Whether you want to say it's to combat injuries or just to make notable improvements to the roster, we know that the New York Yankees are almost surely going to be buyers at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. Pitching options could be explored, but the big need for the Yankees is to upgrade the offense and add another bat.

As such, with looming reports that the St. Louis Cardinals are going to be big-time sellers at the deadline, some fans in the Bronx have been dreaming about one of the ultimate options: perennial All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.

With the struggles of Josh Donaldson at the plate and with Aaron Judge's recovery taking a substantial amount of time on the IL, the Yankees would love to add the power-hitting infielder to the mix. The only problem: It doesn't appear that the Cardinals are going to make that move.

Yankees Rumors: Dream Nolan Arenado trade puts the dead in deadline

Breaking down the buyers and sellers of the trade deadline, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) mentioned Arenado — and Juan Soto — as the dream options for New York. He then brought in the buckets of cold water by saying that St. Louis appears "highly unlikely" to move Arenado as part of their fire sale.

Even worse, though not unexpected, Bowden also said the Padres are unlikely to move Soto either — with an important caveat of "for now".

In all honesty, any Yankees fan pining for an Arenado trade was simply running an exercise in wishful thinking. Not only is he too valuable of a piece for the Cardinals to trade at this current juncture, even as they tear parts of the roster down, but the Yankees would likely be hamstrung into only making one move if they went all-in on Arenado. That's far from how we've seen Brian Cashman handle business.

Hope isn't lost for the Yankees in the trade market, of course. Guys like Cody Bellinger, Jeimer Candelario, and a number of other bats could be had for much cheaper than an Arenado deal and help New York try to rise up the AL East standings.

But if you were holding out hope that the Cardinals would trade their star third baseman to the Yankees, it's time to let that dream die.