By Patrick Gunn
January 30, 2024
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The Yankees need bullpen help. Pitching depth appears to be the last major need the Bombers have to fix ahead of the 2024 season. Of course, they could add another starter, but all signs point to NYC being content with the current five. So, that leaves the bullpen, and a familiar face is garnering attention from the Bomber’s crosstown rivals.
Wandy Peralta has ended a fantastic three-year stretch in Pinstripes, the best seasons of his career. And the Yankees have shown interest in bringing him back. But, does it make sense for a reunion? Here’s the case for and against.
PRO:
Keeping a player well-liked in the locker room
He’s had a 2.82 ERA in three seasons with the Yankees, one of the most stable players the Yankees have had in that stretch
Peralta has fit any role the Yankees have asked of him: sometimes ending games, but constantly putting out fires
His changeup is still nasty - per Statcast data, batters have a .387 xSLG against the pitch along with a wOBA .301 and a 36.8 Whiff%
Still has a high groundball rate (57.1 GB%) and soft contact rate (80th percentile in hard-hit rate)
CON:
He’s always overachieved as a Yankee, with a xERA over four in two of the last three seasons. Maybe that suggests the Yankees system helps him, but it could also suggest he could be in for a down year heading into his age 32-33 season.
His walk rate took a massive jump this season from 7.6% in 2022 to 13.2% last year. Given that he’s a low-strikeout pitcher (last season’s 22.5% was a career-high for him), taking that big of a jump in his mid-30s is striking.
His BABIP last year was .218, a career-low. Hard to repeat that type of number even for a soft-contact pitcher.
VERDICT:
The Yankees should probably resign Peralta for depth and vibes. There are certainly concerns and I do not think the Bombers should give him a long-term deal by any means, but Peralta on a one-year deal maybe with incentives would be a solid enough signing. Also, maybe he’s overachieving as a Yankee because Matt Blake and company’s system works for Peralta? Either way, Peralta has enough pedigree in New York to warrant a low-risk, one year deal that leaves room for another signing or two.
