The New York Yankees‘ third base situation is among the ugliest in Major League Baseball. No matter who the Yankees play at third, there would be questions about whether the player could produce at the level New York needs. Perhaps the Yankees are at fault, as they knew months ago that they needed a better third baseman.
Instead, they were content with Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and DJ LeMahieu battling it out.
LeMahieu is out with an injury, Cabrera hasn’t shown he can hit consistently at the big league level, and Peraza has been unplayable during Spring Training.
For Peraza, it’s been so ugly at times that the Yankees might not have anything left to do but designate him for assignment, with Jacob Mountz of FanSided writing that he’s “in danger” of that happening.
“Once considered a future star, Peraza is in danger of being DFA’d in the coming weeks. While the Yankees will clearly want to keep one of their most promising prospects in recent history, their hands appear to be tied. Peraza is out of minor-league options.
“He will need to make the Major League roster out of spring training to avoid being designated. This spring, Peraza has struggled posting a meager .194 batting average. And without hitting a single dinger thus far, it seems his once-lauded power potential is no longer a viable threat,” Mountz wrote.
How Bad Has Peraza Been?
Once viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball, the New York Yankees were hopeful Peraza would turn into a daily big league player. Instead, as has been the case multiple times with Yankees prospects, he hasn’t shown much of anything.
Looking to win a job in Spring Training, the 24-year-old is hitting .190 and has yet to hit a home run. That simply won’t get the job done.
“Without minor-league options remaining, Peraza faces being designated for assignment and potentially claimed off waivers by another team. If he slips through unclaimed, the Yankees could stash him at Triple-A as depth—but at this point, that scenario feels unlikely.
“The Yankees have given Peraza ample time to develop offensively, but he’s simply never found his footing at the plate. It appears Cashman has seen enough, and a move to find someone more reliable feels inevitable,” Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote.
Yankees Looking to Upgrade Third Base
After a recent report from Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Peraza’s future doesn’t look too good.
Kuty reported that the New York Yankees are looking to upgrade at third base and want a right-handed bat. Cabrera looks to be the starter, with Peraza likely looking for a new home soon.
“The club especially seems motivated to upgrade at third base, a league source told The Athletic, targeting a right-handed bat to play alongside Oswaldo Cabrera — a switch hitter who’s better from the left side. Cabrera (eight) and Oswald Peraza (10) lead the team by far in starts at third base with DJ LeMahieu (calf) hurt and out for the start of the season.
“But Peraza, while once a highly-touted prospect, hasn’t hit this spring (.184 BA, 38 at-bats) and the Yankees haven’t shown much faith in him as a big-league starter in the past,” Kuty wrote.
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