The New York Yankees have finally been able to accomplish their No. 1 priority heading into the MLB offseason, with that goal being to re-sign star outfielder Cody Bellinger.
On Wednesday, the Yankees and Bellinger came to an agreement on a massive five-year, $162 million contract. The deal includes a no-trade clause and opt-out options after the second and third year.
Bellinger was extremely important for New York to bring back. Should the Yankees have lost him, there would have been no alternative options available in free agency who could replace him. Even the trade market would have been difficult to navigate for such an impactful bat.
Now, the team needs to focus on another area that could use some work. That area is starting pitching.
With Bellinger now back in New York, one MLB analyst has urged the Yankees to make a major trade and to part with one of their top young players to make it happen.
Scott Braun of Foul Territory has made it clear that he believes New York should trade either Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones for Milwaukee Brewers star pitcher Freddy Peralta.
“Trade one of them in a deal for Freddy Peralta,” Braun said simply.
“Trade one of them in a deal for Freddy Peralta,” says @ScottBraun. 👀
New York Yankees Have Been Constantly Connected to Freddy Peralta
Since the beginning of the offseason, the Yankees have been connected quite often to a trade for Peralta. However, the Brewers have received heavy interest from multiple different teams.
Last season in Milwaukee, Peralta put together a monster season. He made 33 starts, compiling a 17-6 record to go along with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, a 3.1 K/BB ratio, and 176.2 innings pitched.
Those numbers would look awfully good in New York.
Acquiring Peralta would not come cheap. The Yankees would need to trade either Jones or Dominguez, along with more value, to get him. That price tag shouldn’t scare them away.
Now that the Los Angeles Dodgers have improved even more by signing superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker, New York needs to get aggressive. Trading for Peralta would be exactly he kind of move that would boost the team’s chances of being able to upset the Dodgers come postseason time.
Cody Bellinger Was a Must-Have for the Yankees
During his first season with the Yankees after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs last offseason, Bellinger put together a very strong campaign.
In 152 games played, the 30-year-old outfielder hit 29 home runs and drove in 98 RBI. He also produced a slash line of .272/.334/.480.
Despite a few moments where it seemed like Bellinger could leave New York to sign elsewhere, the two sides worked out an agreement. He’ll be a big part of helping the Yankees compete for another World Series championship in the coming years.
Hopefully, this deal goes down as a big win for New York. The team is taking a risk paying him such a big contract, but the deal shows clearly just how highly the Yankees think of Bellinger.
Expect to hear more rumors surrounding the franchise in the coming days and weeks. Peralta is the name to watch closely as the Brewers discuss options.
Yankees Urged to Make Major Trade After Re-Signing Cody Bellinger