Yankees attempting to use Freddy Peralta as Cody Bellinger leverage is a failing plan

The New York Yankees have tried a lot of desperate plays in their standoff with Cody Bellinger. In the process, they've made some concessions, but are holding steady on their stance in both years and dollars.

As negotiations have come to a halt, the club has made some very transparent power plays, such as the dalliance with Bo Bichette. That was never a real option, and with the former Toronto Blue Jay now putting down roots in Queens, he's not an option at all.

Meanwhile, the pendulum has shifted back in Bellinger's favor. Kyle Tucker may not have gotten the long-term contract that truly would have put Bellinger in the driver's seat, but the massive AAV he received gives Scott Boras the leeway to ask the Yankees for more. Add in the fact that the Mets are now taking the last remaining star free-agent outfielder more seriously, and it leaves the Yankees with few cards left to play.

The latest one they threw down, however, might be the most ridiculous one yet: threatening to pivot to the trade market and specifically target Freddy Peralta should Bellinger not back down.

The Yankees threatening Cody Bellinger with a Freddy Peralta pivot is their most ridiculous attempt to grasp at straws yet

First of all, it's been no secret that the Yankees have been interested in Peralta throughout the winter. New York's desire for the Milwaukee Brewers ace was there when the club was optimistic that it could retain Bellinger, and has persisted through these more bleak times.

And they should be interested in the right-hander. Peralta is a true top-of-the-rotation arm, and makes just $8 million in the final year of his contract. The Yankees have a real need in their rotation, and he slots in perfectly.

Furthermore, if a one-year, $8 million commitment is enough to blow up their budget to the point where signing Bellinger at their original five-year, $155 or $160 million offer is unreachable, then they were never serious about retaining the 2019 NL MVP to begin with.

Budgets and fiscal responsibility are one thing, but that's an unmatched level of ridiculousness.

Moreover, the most ludicrous part of this whole charade is the idea that acquiring Peralta somehow eliminates the need that Bellinger would have filled. They may not believe in Jasson Dominguez enough to hand him the reins. They may be wary of Spencer Jones' boom-or-bust potential. And without Bellinger, their outfield defense is still a question mark. Adding a starter does absolutely nothing to address those concerns.

The Yankees need Bellinger. They're out of alternatives, and they need to come to grips with that reality. At the same time, the club could really use Peralta. One should have no bearing on the other and, in fact, if the Yankees need to include Dominguez or Jones in the package to acquire Peralta, their need for Bellinger becomes that much more dire.

As fans, all we can wonder as they try to spin this either/or scenario is, ¿por qué no los dos?