Jordan Shusterman, an MLB analyst for Fox Sports, proposed a trade in which the Yankees would exchange shortstop Oswald Peraza, a top-100 prospect in MLB last year, for Miami Marlins’ Tanner Scott, a left-handed reliever with seven years of big-league experience.
“Scott … was one of baseball’s best relievers last year, but he is also slated to hit free agency after this upcoming season,” Shusterman wrote in a statement. “If the Yankees are done spending on their rotation but still want to upgrade the pitching staff in an impactful way, maybe they can dangle Peraza as a potential long-term shortstop solution for the Fightin’ Fish in exchange for Scott.”
Schusterman said that the transfer will benefit both sides, as Peraza will struggle to break into the Yankees’ lineup following the signing of the highly regarded Jorbit Vivas. Meanwhile, the Marlins will rely on left-handed relievers A.J. Puk and Andrew Nardi to replace Scott.
The New York Yankees can swap some prospect depth for needed help in the bullpen.
“Peraza was a consensus top-100 prospect whose strong glove and contact skills formed a promising profile that projected to pair well in the Yankees infield alongside the more-hyped Anthony Volpe,” according to Shusterman. “Though he undeniably struggled at the big-league level as a rookie in uneven intervals in the Bronx, there’s still real talent here that shouldn’t be cast aside.”
The Marlins presently plan to use Jon Berti as their daily shortstop, a proven utility player who should not impede Peraza’s playing time if he deserves it.
“If Miami evaluates Peraza as a potential starting shortstop the way much of the industry did not that long ago, this could certainly be a match,” Shusterman said.
New York Yankees’ bullpen options are drying up.
The Yankees had a solid relief corps in 2023, with an MLB-best 3.34 ERA. However, major players Wandy Peralta and Keynan Middleton have been acquired by National League teams, while several targets, such Phil Maton and Héctor Neris, are no longer available.
“The Yankees’ door to upgrade their bullpen via free agency is closing fast as relievers continue to fly off the shelves,” Max Goodman wrote for NJ.com.
As a result, one of the team’s final moves in the swiftly approaching offseason might be to acquire a pitcher like Scott — who is expected to earn $5.5 million in 2024, according to Sportrac — by trade.
Scott has a 4.00 ERA, 33 saves, and 402 strikeouts over 296.2 innings in his career. But during the previous two seasons, he has evolved as a dependable closer for the Marlins, with a 2.31 ERA and 12 saves in 78 innings in 2023.
If he continues this pattern, Scott is the type of under-the-radar bullpen pitcher that the Yankees have favoured in recent years, and he may be a stronger “win-now” option for the organization than Peraza.
Peter Chawaga covers Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. With over ten years of experience in the newsroom, he has written and edited for newspapers, magazines, and websites around the country. Yardbarker, Last Word On Sports, and other publications have all covered his baseball reporting. More on Peter Chawaga.
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