5 Yankees who are playing their way out of the team’s 2024 plans

Wandy Peralta, LHP

Certainly feels like Hal Steinbrenner put the kibosh on a Wandy Peralta rental sale at the deadline so as not to appear weak, huh? It kind of does, doesn't it?

Peralta has been an excellent Yankee since being acquired midstream in 2021 in exchange for Mike Tauchman. He starred in last year's postseason, appearing in all five ALDS contests and performing well. He's a quirky fan favorite who's proven his mettle where many others have faltered.

He's also 32, entering free agency, and armed with some of the worst peripherals of his career.

He's taken care of lefties expertly all year long (.119 BAA against left-handers, fifth in MLB), but hasn't been the same against righties -- and can you blame him?! Not his speciality. The control has evaporated; his walk rate sits in the 8th percentile across MLB, which has led to a garish 5.43 xERA.

The regression began, in earnest, for Peralta on Sunday, when Aaron Boone allowed him to face a parade of righties after split-inning duty, resulting in a three-run Jake Meyers (???) bomb and a Martin Maldonado dinger as a capper. Something tells us the Yankees don't want to be the ones holding onto a forthcoming financial commitment for Peralta's likely further backslide.

Good Yankee. Very good Yankee. Probably not coming back.