Catching up on a minor-league signing that flew under our radar last month, the Yankees signed infielder Jose Peraza to a minor-league deal, per the transaction tracker at MLB.com.
Peraza was a highly touted prospect in the early stages of his career, showing up on a few top-100 lists in 2015 and 2016, which led to him being acquired in a couple of notable trades. He went from Atlanta to Los Angeles as one of the 13 players involved in a massive deal between the Dodgers, Braves and Marlins, a trade which also involved Mat Latos, Alex Wood and Bronson Arroyo, just to name a few. After a seven-game cup of coffee with the Dodgers, he then went to the Reds as part of the three-team deal that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox.
Peraza’s prospect status was largely based on his speed and bat-to-ball skills, with teams hoping he would eventually mature, both physically and as a hitter. He doesn’t strike out much, as evidenced by his 13.1% career rate, but he also only walks at a 4.1% rate for his career. Combined with a lack of power, that’s led to a meager career slash line of .266/.306/.372, wRC+ of 78. He has 79 stolen bases but hasn’t reached double digits in that department since 2018.
After four years in Cincinnati, Peraza spent the past couple seasons as a bench/utility player for the Red Sox in 2020 and Mets in 2021. His 2021 slash line was .204/.266/.380 over 154 plate appearances. Despite the fact that he hasn’t put it all together yet, Peraza is still only 27 years old, turning 28 in April. The Yankees have let some of their depth infield options depart in recent weeks, sending Tyler Wade to the Angels and releasing Rougned Odor, who eventually landed with the Orioles. Peraza could be a candidate to fill a similar to role to those players, bouncing around to different positions, as needed. He’s gotten most of his major league playing time at second base and shortstop, but has also seen some limited action at third base and all three outfield positions.
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