Yankees add former Cardinals first-round pick on MiLB deal

The New York Yankees have been adding minor-league talent at an incredible pace the past few days, trying to inject competition with spring training around the bend. Most of their acquisitions have been to fill outfield spots or at least try to create a position battle in left field, but their latest signing, Delvin Perez, the St. Louis Cardinals’ former first-round pick back in 2016 and once considered a top-20 prospect, is primarily a shortstop.

The Yankees may give Delvin Perez a few opportunities during Spring Training:

Perez, 24, played in 45 games with St. Louis’ Triple-A team last year, hitting .224 with a .302 OBP, three homers, and 13 RBIs with a 72 wRC+. With Double-A, he played 50 games, hitting .222 with a .324 OBP, two homers, 20 RBIs, and 68 wRC+.

Unfortunately, it seems as if Perez has struggled to rise through the Cardinals’ farm system, accruing 18 errors in 97 games at shortstop with their Double-A affiliate in 2021.

Despite his errors, Perez is known for his sleight-of-hand and range at shortstop, which could be valuable given the shift ban set for the 2023 season and beyond. He’s also an athletic runner with some underrated speed on the base paths.

The Yankees are simply stacking minor-league talent to fill the roster, especially with the hopes that Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe will reach the majors next season. However, they have a few of their own climbing through the ranks, notably Trey Sweeney, who’s been impressing as a short stop at the minor-league level.

As for Perez, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a few opportunities during spring training, but the Yankees will be looking to give the majority of the reps to Peraza and Volpe, who are nearly guaranteed to make a significant impact.