The rivalry between the New York Yankees and New York Mets appears to have started early this offseason, with both teams in the hunt for reliever Bandy Peralta.On January 22, Brendan Coote of The Athletic reported that the Yankees “will continue talks with the left-hander, but have not found common ground.”
Three days later, Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that the Mets were targeting Peralta to bolster their bullpen. Peralta, who previously played for the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, was traded to the Yankees on April 27, 2021. He became a free agent for the first time and signed a one-year contract with New York, keeping him under club control for the next two seasons. Experience until the end of 2023.
Peralta, who spent three seasons with the Yankees, posted a 2.82 ERA with 133 strikeouts in 153 innings. The 32-year-old has been very consistent on the mound and has appeared in at least 56 games in each of the last three seasons despite dealing with a left triceps problem late last year.
Peralta allowed the second-most walks of his career in 2023, but finished the season with an 82.5% on-base percentage, according to Baseball Savant.This will be Peralta’s first appearance as a free agent as he remains under club control until the end of 2023. Last season, he agreed to a final year of arbitration with the Yankees worth $3.35 million, and the year before that he signed a $2.15 million contract.Spotrac projects Peralta’s market value to be around $7.2 million per season through 2024.
The Mets have until 2024 to add arms, but the Yankees’ decision to prioritize reuniting with Peralta is unclear.Last season, the Mets shortstop posted a disappointing 4.45 ERA, 22nd in MLB, and has yet to make any game-changing improvements this season. After declining his contract option, New York re-signed Adam Ottavino to a one-year, $4.5 million contract on January 27. But even though he has the most hits of any Mets reliever in 2023, his return will always bring justice. . The team is in the same position as last year.
On the other hand, the 2023 Yankees bullpen posted the highest ERA in MLB at 3.34 and little has changed other than Peralta entering free agency. With Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, and Jonathan Loazigi serving as high-impact relievers, and Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton, and Victor Gonzalez filling the middle innings, the Yankees’ bullpen remains very strong heading into next season. Despite giving up Michael King in a trade with the San Diego Padres earlier this winter, the Yankees still don’t have to add a reliever until 2024. Even if it’s a familiar face.
However, the Yankees have proven they know how to build an impressive bullpen, and their cross-town rivals won’t let Peralta take it without a fight. The Mets can also pursue aggressively, and if they can trade for the lefty, he would be very valuable to their roster. At the moment, Peralta is reportedly living in New York. Now the question is where it ends up in the subway series.
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