The Yankees are interested in bringing back lefty reliever Wandy Peralta. The Post’s Jon Heyman added that Peralta is also attracting several suitors in free agency.
Yankees are one of many teams on Wandy Peralta, and they are hoping for a reunion
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 4, 2023
The Yankees acquired Peralta, 32, from the Giants in a trade for outfielder Mike Tauchman in 2021. He then became the latest example of general manager Brian Cashman’s knack for finding pitchers. Wandy Peralta had a 5.40 ERA in San Francisco before turning in a 2.95 for New York the rest of the way.
Better yet, Peralta has continued to flourish with the Yankees. For context, his career ERA was 4.40 through 2021, his first six seasons. But as a Yankee, Wandy Peralta has posted a remarkable 2.82, even if a 4.06 FIP implies some luck.
He’s also a playoff force, posting a 3.12 ERA with a save and just one walk in seven games.
And while Wandy Peralta isn’t exactly a high offseason priority, the Yankees should make a real effort to re-sign him. On top of being a key piece of the bullpen, he’s also a popular teammate. Brendan Kuty, then with NJ.com, wrote of him being “one of the funniest and warmest players in the Yankees’ clubhouse.”
However, the Yankees are also low on lefty relievers. Matt Krook was awful in four games near the end of the season and Nick Ramirez isn’t a high-leverage arm. The free agent market has some journeymen, namely Aaron Loup and Matt Moore, but most are older than Peralta.
So, where does this leave the Yankees? Well, Spotrac lists Peralta’s market value at $7.2 million. That’s a big bump from the $3.35 million he earned in 2023. And the numbers make pretty clear that Wandy Peralta deserves a raise.
Thus, the playbook here is simple. Most other teams are probably offering Peralta two or three-year deals at or about his market value. All the Yankees need to do is offer four years at a small hometown discount.
It shouldn’t take long to re-sign Wandy Peralta and quickly get back to more pressing matters, namely Juan Soto.
