Ten games into the season, the New York Yankees' offense appears capable of weathering Juan Soto's loss. The pressing concern is whether their pitching staff can compensate for Gerrit Cole's absence. Early performances have been underwhelming, highlighting the need for general manager Brian Cashman to seek reinforcements. This necessity was evident on Opening Day when he observed a potential target firsthand.
Freddy Peralta took the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium, delivering a performance that caught attention. Over five innings, he allowed two earned runs on four hits-two of which were home runs-and struck out eight batters. Despite his efforts, the Brewers fell to the Yankees 4-2.
That same day, former MLB outfielder and current analyst for Foul Territory, Cameron Maybin, called for the Yankees to trade for the Brewers ace.
"I'll say it on day one, the Yankees need to find a way to trade for Freddy Peralta before this season is over!" Maybin posted on Twitter.
Peralta, 28, is coming off a season where he recorded a 3.86 ERA with 200 strikeouts over 173 ⅔ innings, stepping up as Milwaukee's ace following Corbin Burnes' departure. His contract includes team control through 2026, making him a valuable asset.
According to Jon Conahan of Heavy.com, any trade discussions for Peralta would likely begin with Spencer Jones.
Once heralded as a potential successor to Aaron Judge due to his 6-foot-6 frame and impressive power, has not lived up to his potential yet. Currently back in Double-A, he's working to address contact issues, notably adopting the torpedo bat to improve performance. Last season, he struck out in 36.8% of his plate appearances. Despite work on that this past winter, Jones struck out 16 times in 32 spring at-bats.
It's another reminder that prospects don't always reach their potential.
While acquiring Peralta would be costly in prospects, the potential benefits for the Yankees outweigh the potential of a prospect.
