Wandy Peralta Free Agency Rumors: Veteran pitcher 'potential target' of 2 teams, per report
Free agent reliever Wandy Peralta is looking for potential suitors for the upcoming 2024 season. And two teams are interested in his services.
According to Mark Feinsand's report, the New York Yankees are interested in retaining the 32-year-old reliever for 2024. This comes after the New York Mets were strongly linked to onboarding Peralta this offseason. It remains to be seen which New York-based club signs the reliever.
With Spring Training getting closer, the offseason has picked up pace and teams are now locking in their options for the back end of the innings. The reliever market is also getting clarity, with the best of the lot out of the market.
The highly sought-after reliever Josh Hader has reportedly agreed to a record five-year, $95 million deal with the Houston Astros, per Insider Jon Heyman. Another reliever, Robert Stephenson, has also reportedly agreed with the Los Angeles Angels on a three-year, $33 million contract, pending physical.
Wandy Peralta's MLB career
As an amateur free agent, Wandy Peralta signed with the Cincinnati Reds in May 2010. He made his debut on Sept. 4, 2016, and made the opening day roster of the 2017 season. In 69 games in 2017, he went 3-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 64.2 innings.
Peralta struggled with control in 2018, pitching 2-2 for a 5.36 ERA in 45.1 innings. In 2019 for Cincinnati, he was 1-1 with a 6.09 ERA in 39 games and 34 innings pitched.
In September 2019, the San Francisco Giants picked Peralta off waivers. Across eight relief appearances, he went 0-0 for a 3.18 ERA in 5.2 innings pitched. On April 27, 2021, the Giants dealt Peralta and Connor Cannon to the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Mike Tauchman.
Peralta has done well with the Yankees, going 10-9 with an ERA of 2.82, 133 strikeouts and 11 saves in 165 appearances.
With new developments indicating that the Yankees are interested in having him back, the reliever seems poised for another good season at his next destination.