Dodgers may find a way to ruin another Yankees' pursuit on top of Cody Bellinger

The Los Angeles Dodgers really are the new Evil Empire. As if adding Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker to a back-to-back World Series winner weren't enough, the Dodgers are now reportedly interested in trading for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

The Athletic's Katie Woo revealed on Tuesday that the Dodgers "remain interested" in Peralta. Woo's wording was actually hilarious, as it implies that the Dodgers have been eyeing Peralta for some time, and have always been the pitcher's inevitable destination, just like the Dodgers seemingly are for every big star on the move.

Indeed, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and the rest of LA's front office have become somewhat of an all-seeing, omniscient entity in Major League Baseball. If you aren't the Dodgers, your superstar player will soon be a Dodger (looking at you, Tigers). And if you aren't the Dodgers, whichever star you're pursuing will probably choose the Dodgers over you, even if you're the New York Yankees.

Yankees might as well give up on Freddy Peralta pursuit if Dodgers are involved

Friedman's poaching of Edwin Díaz from the incumbent New York Mets this offseason was a crystal clear display of how the Dodgers now demand more gravity than the two "powerhouse" clubs in the Big Apple, if the Yankees can still be called that.

What was most alarming about Díaz leaving New York for sunny LA was that he had a comparable offer on the table from the Mets; he just preferred to "win" with the reigning champs.

As if Friedman's limitless spending power wasn't enough to lure and overpay any player he desires, he's also working with a championship aura and appeal that any other franchise can't compete with at the moment. Both a bottomless wallet and the Dodgers' mystique were just weaponized to destroy all of Tucker's other suitors, including the ultra-wealthy Mets.

The Yankees aren't even in this conversation anymore. The current offseason has been very much the story of certain contenders puffing out their chests to try and keep pace with LA (Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and even the Baltimore Orioles!), but Yankees GM Brian Cashman has operated as if he's got absolutely nothing to prove or be worried about.

Peralta would be a stellar acquisition for the Yanks as they look ahead to a 2026 season that won't feature Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón at its outset. Moreover, in pulling off a deal for Peralta, Cashman would force everyone to revise their harrowing report card of his offseason. But don't count on Peralta in pinstripes, especially if LA's reported interest is real.