Yankees Facing Massive Oswald Peraza Problem After Latest Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Amid an ugly stretch featuring new issues, the New York Yankees still haven’t answered the Oswald Peraza problem.
Calling Peraza a replacement-level player feels generous, even if the fourth-year utility infielder enters Sunday literally worth 0.0 bWAR. The 25-year-old is batting .159 with three homers, 13 RBIs, and a .502 OPS over 138 plate appearances for the free-falling Yankees.
Things aren’t getting better for either side, especially not after Saturday’s 12-6 loss to the crosstown Mets. The Yankees have lost six straight and now sit three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. In fact, the Yankees are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place in the AL East.
We can’t put all of the blame on Peraza, especially not when the pitching staff has collapsed over the last week. Yankees pitchers have allowed six runs in six of eight games, and they’ve been outscored 49-30 to start July.
As for Peraza, he remains on the roster partly because he has no minor-league options left. Never mind that his batting average hasn’t been above .200 since May 12, and he’s 7-for-42 since June 1.
Peraza is a lifetime .196 hitter with a .275 on-base percentage in nearly 400 plate appearances. He’s a light-hitting infielder with no real plate discipline, but he’s getting regular at-bats on a supposed World Series contender.
We’ll see how much longer Peraza sticks around in the big leagues, especially after the Yankees signed former Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario on Saturday. Another infielder, Nicky Lopez, signed with the Yankees on Thursday.
However, don’t be surprised to see Peraza stick around through the July 31 deadline—and, given the Yankees’ hesitation to give up on players, if he makes it to Game 162. If the Yankees haven’t cut bait yet, one must wonder if the club would realistically do so during the regular season.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.