There was a time when New York Yankees' GM Brian Cashman believed Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza would form the heart of his team's infield for years to come. His front office rebuffed numerous trade offers from rival teams looking to take Peraza off their hands. It's clear now that New York should have accepted one of those offers.
Peraza's glove has been as good as advertised. He may be a natural shortstop but he's logged most of his innings for the Yankees this season at the hot corner. 21 of his 28 games in 2025 have come at third base. To the 24-year-old's credit, he's added another quality infield glove to manager Aaron Boone's infield.
The problem with Peraza's game come on the offensive end. He was never projected to be an elite hitter at the major league level but there was hope he could at least be a league average regular with the bat in his hands. He has not come anywhere close to meeting those modest expectations on the young season.
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Peraza only has a measly batting average of .164 through 61 at-bats. It's not as if he's getting on base at a healthy clip either. His .239 OBP accurately depicts him as one of the worst hitters in MLB. His two home runs in limited action don't help his offensive production much. Peraza's inability to hit major league pitching is a big reason why his WAR is just -0.1 despite his defensive exploits.
At some point, the Yankees will be forced to part ways with Peraza to find an upgrade at third base. That decision come come as soon as Jazz Chisholm returns from the Injured List. New York might opt to keep Peraza in the Bronx over Jorbit Vivas but one of them will be jettisoned to make room for the teams' most exuberant star.
DJ LeMahieu's recent return to the lineup also complicates things for Peraza. The veteran infielder isn't a good bet to stay healthy but he already looks better than he did at any point during his disastrous 2024 campaign. LeMahieu doesn't have the range Peraza does in the infield but he can play a passable third, second or first base. LeMahieu's contract will prevent the Yankees from doing anything other than keeping him on the major league roster all season long.
The good news for Peraza is that his defensive chops should give him a chance to catch on elsewhere. There are plenty of teams who might be willing to roll the dice on an elite defender who might blossom into an average hitter. It's possible that Peraza will have multiuple offers if the Yankees are forced to part ways with him entirely.
In the end, Peraza serves as a cautionary data point for Cashman and his staff. The group has been accused of "prospect hugging" by scores of fans over the years. The team's front office would respond that they need to rely on homegrown talent if they are going to fit into ownership's recent salary limitations.
The key for the Yankees will be to know which prospects to hold on to and which they might be better served to cash in to acquire potential difference-makers. In an ideal world, New York can flip their prospects to bring cost-controlled veterans onto the roster. That may be the new way forward that hte Yankees desperately need to thread if they want to break their World Series drought.
Fans expecting a sudden philosophy shift from Cashman are set to be disappointed. Prized prospects like Spencer Jones and George Lombard will not suddenly find themselves on the trade block due to Peraza's offensive failings. The Yankees will continue to ask a high price of any team that wants to land a top-five prospect in a trade.
In the meantime, pressure will mount on Peraza every game he plays for him to find a way to save his Yankees career. The odds are stacked against him finding enough offensive production to extend his stay in the Bronx. Instead, his name will go down in franchise history as one of many former prospects who failed to live up to the hype. Peraza now serves as a cautionary tale for team officials who always favor hanging on to big name prospects.