The 2026 season is obviously in the past for the New York Yankees, but with that being said, reports have started to surface left and right about some of the Yankees’ in-season plans for acquiring players via the external market.
One player that the Yankees ‘reportedly’ showed interest in was San Diego Padres‘ reliever Jeremiah Estrada.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman recently reported that the Yankees have ‘long-eyed’ acquiring Estrada.
Estrada, 27, has been a very effective reliever over the past few years, but a handful of injuries limited him to just 33 appearances in 2026, so perhaps New York had been interested in his services either before the 2026 campaign or in the early going. Sherman did not specify the timeline.
Should the Yankees Still Be Interested in Jeremiah Estrada?
The San Diego Padres will have some decisions to make this offseason regarding their bullpen corps, and Jeremiah Estrada might be a part of those conundrums.
MLBTR.com’s Mark Polishuk wrote (about Estrada):
“Estrada celebrates his 28th birthday in a couple of weeks, and the right-hander has now completed his third successful season out of the Friars’ bullpen. The 2026 campaign came with a lot of health issues, however, as Estrada was limited to 31 regular-season innings due to three trips to the injured list. Estrada missed time with elbow tendinitis, knee inflammation, and a shoulder impingement, and the last of those injuries ended his season in late August and kept him out of the Padres’ playoff run.”
In 2026, Estrada boasted an ERA of 3.48 over 31 IP with 38 strikeouts.
Those are still solid numbers for a reliever, and considering the Yankees will likely lose a right-handed reliever or two this offseason with several of their arms hitting the open market, it might be wise for the Yankees to check in with AJ Preller (Padres’ POBO) to see what the asking price is on the 27 y/o reliever.
What Could the Yankees Offer for Jeremiah Estrada?
Jeremiah Estrada is a controllable arm, as he still has a few seasons before he can hit free agency, which might drive up his price a little bit, especially if a team like the Yankees, who are semi-rich with prospect talent, comes calling.
However, speaking to the Padres side, trading Estrada could be a wise move due to their lack of a farm system, and San Diego could use the Yankees’ desperation to add a quality bullpen piece to its advantage and potentially land a top-15/20 prospect in exchange for Estrada.
It will be interesting to see if any rumors/reports surface regarding Estrada as the offseason progresses.
Estrada carries a lifetime ERA of 3.47 over 181.1 IP (261 strikeouts, 3.31 FIP).
New York Yankees Reportedly Had Interest in 5-Year MLB Pitcher