Over the weekend, the Yankees made the difficult decision to option Oswald Peraza to Triple-A Scranton. The young stud shortstop didn’t have the best spring, but more than that, Volpe had an otherworldly one. Now, Raza will have to earn his way back to the team. Though I think he can certainly do it, and he has the talent to be on a big-league roster right now, it must be hard for the kid. The Yankees still have an excess amount of talent on the roster, and perhaps they should look to move Peraza if he’s not in their plans.
I am not saying I want them to trade him, as trading away someone with his skillset and talent is never something one should “want.” However, I realize that he is still incredibly valuable and could fetch quite the return for the Yankees. He’s a fantastic defensive shortstop, graded out as one of the best base runners in the Yanks’ system, and has a solid bat that can play up if he hits a few more XBH.
If the Yankees aren’t feeling 100% confident in their rotation for this season, even after Rodon and Severino return, they could look to acquire some additional help. The market is certainly pretty dry right now, as it usually is at the beginning of the season. Every team begins 0-0, and even the worst ones have that small glimmer of hope that they can make a run. I still think there are some options out there that the team should monitor, and I think potentially making Peraza available would allow for them to pursue some quality arms.
Jesus Luzardo could be a great fit for the Yankees:
For starters, Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins is one guy that I’ve wanted the team to get for some time now. The Marlins still have an excess of arms in their system, and their rotation, as of now, still features a bit too many cooks in the kitchen. Miami likely won’t be the most competitive team this year, and they play in an extremely loaded division. Plus, having moved Jazz to CF and relying on some veterans in the infield, Peraza could be the piece they’re missing.
Oswald has six years of control, is still just 22 years old, and now can say he has some MLB experience to his name. Though he only played 18 games last season, he OPSd .832, with a 146 wRC+. Swapping him for Luzardo could potentially be a straight-across deal, and I wouldn’t be upset about it. Last year, Luzardo seemingly had his breakout campaign, even if it was a bit derailed due to his injury.
In 100.1 innings, the former top prospect posted a 3.32 ERA and a 3.12 FIP. He posted career bests across the board, including a 10.76 K/9, 0.90 HR/9, 21.3% K/BB%, and only gave up a 6.6% Barrel % to opposing hitters. He was the best version of himself that the league has seen yet, and it’s still crazy to me that the A’s gave up on him for a two-month rental of Starling Marte.
Now, Luzardo would cost a fair amount, but a deal headlined by Peraza could potentially get it done. Jesus is 25 and has four years of control left, but as previously mentioned, the Marlins still have loads of arms that are established or are on the fringe of being ready for the show. Acquiring him would give the Yankees another extremely talented, high-upside arm with multiple years of control. Not to mention, he’s another lefty that they can slap into the rotation.
Brandon Woodruff may want to play meaningful baseball in October:
The other option that has crossed my mind would be including Peraza as a potential headliner in a deal for Brewers’ pitcher Brandon Woodruff. Last year, he was once again a dominant pitcher that served as the team’s No.2 behind Corbin Burnes. I don’t believe anyone will be able to trade for Burnes, as the Brewers would certainly be asking for a king’s ransom for him. Woodruff, on the other hand, I think may be dealt.
If the brewers struggle this season and have a similar year to last year come the All-Star break, they will be having a sale on numerous guys on the roster. Peraza is still an incredibly valuable piece and a T100 prospect with tons of upside. He would likely headline a package being sent to Milwaukee, and the Yanks could include, say, Will Warren or Yoendrys Gomez, as well as another middle-tier prospect.
Woodruff was once more fantastic last year, as he posted a 3.05 ERA and 3.08 FIP over 153.1 innings. He excels at missing bats and has posted a K/9 of at least 10.50 the last four seasons he’s pitched in. He’s been the Yin to Burnes’ Yang, and the brewers have had the luxury of the two of them pitching back-to-back for a few years now. However, it doesn’t seem like they’re built to win with their current roster construction, and adding Peraza to their team would also help sure up the pending doom over losing Willy Adames in the near future.
Adames has expressed his desire for a contract extension, but the Brewers haven’t responded. Oswald would immediately help their infield, both in the LU and in the field, and would allow for them to have their shortstop of the future. Peraza’s value may be seen as “at an all-time low” due to his demotion, but I assure you that’s not the case.
Peraza still has a ton of value, and the league knows this:
I believe every team still thinks he’s talented, including the Yankees, he just didn’t have a spot at this moment. Now, of course, these trade proposals are all nothing more than hypotheticals. I don’t believe that either team will move their guys right now, but as the season rolls along, it’s something to keep an eye on.
Peraza is one of the most talented guys in the Yankees’ system and will likely be on the roster here sooner than later. It’s just a matter of when. The team still has numerous guys that likely won’t get regular ABs, and even if Raza was here, it doesn’t make sense for him to sit on the bench majority of the week and get a game here and there.
If the Yankees do want to bolster their starting rotation, moving Peraza would likely net the best value for their wants. He’s still an incredibly gifted shortstop who can also play 2B & 3B — or will be able to here come the next month or two and would immediately help a team sure up their infield for the future. I wouldn’t dump him simply to move him, but instead, for an established high-end pitcher. He’s got the skills; it’ll just be interesting to see what the team decides to do with him as the year goes by.