Freddy Peralta Would Solve Yankees Rotation Problems

Freddy Peralta is quickly becoming a favorite for the New York Yankees this offseason after former favorite target Tatsuya Imai was snapped up by the Houston Astros. Now thinking in terms of trade options, Yankee fans and commentators are urging the team to give up some coveted pitching prospects for one year of excellence.

The most likely trade chips are Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange, both top pitchers in the Yankees' farm system, as the Brewers are in the market for a young, MLB-ready starter.

As Chris Kirschner pointed out in a recent piece for The Athletic, four members of the Yankees' rotation logged career-high workloads in 2025, with Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren hitting new highs in innings pitched. Peralta would offset some of that workload, but also immediately become one of their best rotation arms.

Peralta logged a career-best 2.70 ERA last season in 33 games (176.2 innings).

With injuries to the rotation already keeping some of their best pitching talent (namely Rodon and Gerrit Cole) out for the beginning of the year, the Yankees need insurance, and they won't do much better than Peralta.

Works Well With Yankees' Current Philosophy

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches during the first inning of the National League Championship Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers October 14, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

General manager Brian Cashman commented at the winter meetings that a player (like Peralta) would still very much be on the table if they were under team control for one more year. Peralta, 29, signed a five-year, $15 million contract extension with the Brewers in 2020.

“Because we’re the New York Yankees, we’re always in that short-term mode,” Cashman said. “I won’t recommend importing a guy with one year of control left if I don’t feel like they can make a big difference in trying to help us push through and be the final team standing. … I think if you’re in a big market that’s constantly trying to win, (giving up control) becomes less relevant.”

Fans want them in short-term mode again. With Aaron Judge in peak form but making his way toward a certain age without a ring, the Yankees need to be thinking in terms of putting the best product they can afford on the field. Fans were agitated to hear owner Hal Steinbrenner gripe about money trouble back in November, and the comments have lived rent-free in our heads in the months since.

Peralta comes as one of the Yankees' best opportunities to prove that they're serious about putting together a World Series team. They should be willing to make a large sacrifice for him.

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