The Yankees walked out of the Winter Meetings without signing a soul, and yes, fans noticed. No fireworks. No blockbuster moves. Not even a whisper of a trade finalized. But behind the scenes, things are far from quiet. In fact, there’s real smoke, and maybe fire, around Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, and the Yankees are very much in the hunt.
Peralta Drawing Heavy Interest Across MLB
According to reports, Peralta has drawn interest from a crowd of suitors: the Orioles, Red Sox, Giants, Astros, and, yes, the Yankees. And with good reason. Peralta is coming off one of the finest seasons of his career, flashing a sparkling 2.70 ERA, his lowest yet, and putting together another ironman campaign with over 30 starts, his third year in a row clearing that benchmark. He’s not just good. He’s durable, reliable, and, at $8 million for 2026, an absolute bargain in today’s pitching market.
The Yankees’ Rotation Faces Major Uncertainty
Why the urgency? Because the Yankees’ rotation is a mess heading into 2026. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón will both miss the early part of the season, and Clarke Schmidt is already ruled out for the entire year after Tommy John surgery. That leaves Max Fried and Cam Schlittler to shoulder the top of the rotation, capable arms, no doubt, but they’ll need help. Luis Gil and Will Warren round out the back end, but that’s not exactly a group that screams championship-caliber.
A Deal for Peralta Would Be a Statement
Enter Peralta. A strikeout machine with postseason experience and the consistency this rotation sorely lacks. In other words, the kind of pitcher the Yankees can’t afford to miss out on.
Yet there’s a problem. Brian Cashman says other teams are reluctant to deal with the Yankees. Whether it’s jealousy, fear, or simple economics, that resistance is real, and it might make acquiring Peralta a longer, tougher process than fans would like.
But here’s the thing: if the Yankees want to reclaim their identity, not just as contenders, but as dominant, they need to stop waiting and start acting. Signing Peralta wouldn’t just bolster the rotation. It would send a message: the Yankees are done watching from the sidelines.
And in a season already marred by injuries, they may not have another choice.
