Yankees media turns on Oswald Peraza after game-changing error vs Blue Jays

When the New York Yankees lost 4-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night, a handful of players could have taken the heat — Carlos Rodón for his inconsistent command, Anthony Volpe for yet another defensive lapse, or even Aaron Boone for his questionable late-game decisions.

Instead, the harshest spotlight landed on Oswald Peraza.

The third baseman’s throwing error in the fifth inning — a misfire to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt — allowed Toronto to extend a 2-1 lead to 3-1, and the moment quickly spiraled into something more than just a single mistake.

In postgame media availability, one reporter took the criticism up a notch, pressing Peraza in a way rarely seen in today’s clubhouse interviews:

“There’s a lot of reports that the Yankees are gonna trade for a third baseman at the deadline. Do you hear that? Is that disappointing? How disappointing is it that you haven’t been able to take this opportunity and make the most of it so far?”

The reporter — whose outlet remains unknown — didn’t just question Peraza’s current form; he essentially framed his tenure with the Yankees as a failure.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for a player once considered a cornerstone of the franchise’s future.

Things have turned quickly for Oswaldo Peraza

Peraza, once the Yankees’ No. 3 ranked prospect, has never truly been handed the keys. Since his debut in 2022, he’s bounced between the majors and minors, appearing in just 141 games over four seasons, and batting .190 with seven home runs in that stretch.

His 2024 role hasn’t made things any easier. Initially rotating between shortstop and second base, Peraza was thrust into third base duties after Oswaldo Cabrera’s foot injury and DJ LeMahieu’s release. With no consistent playing time and constant position shuffling, the odds were stacked against him from the start.

And yet, the numbers this July paint a bleak picture. In 13 games this month, Peraza is slashing just .125/.125/.125, showing little at the plate and struggling to hold his own in the field.

The Yankees, four games back in the A.L. East, don’t have the luxury of time. The trade deadline is looming, and third base is now a glaring weak spot. Unless Peraza flips the narrative fast, he may end up being part of the package that brings in a more reliable bat and glove at the hot corner.

It’s fair to wonder whether Peraza would’ve been in a different place had he been given more consistent reps earlier in his career. But with former MVP Josh Donaldson holding down third base for years, and short-term experiments like DJ LeMahieu and Jazz Chisholm getting opportunities instead, Peraza never had the chance to find a rhythm.

Now, he’s in a sprint to prove himself before the front office makes its next move.