Yankees' reported third base search means one of two things for former top prospects

Despite knowing about their third base vacancy for over a year, the New York Yankees opted to neglect addressing it until ... checks calendar ... barely a week before 2025 Opening Day. You know, the best time to welcome a complete unknown to the roster.

New York had planned for DJ LeMahieu to win the starting job this spring, but he got injured in his second at-bat. He hasn't been healthy since 2020. So it became a battle between former top prospects Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza. At that point, unless one of them failed miserably, it felt as if it would be an inevitable platoon.

As frustrating as it was, fans accepted it. There's faith in Cabrera because he plays good defense and wields a clutch bat, in addition to being a "good vibes" merchant. On the other hand, Peraza was once a top-three prospect. Are we sure he has nothing left to offer if he finds his way into some regular playing time? OK, we might be coping. We honestly don't know. Just trying to reason with it all.

Then, on Wednesday, it was reported the Yankees "seem motivated to upgrade at third base." Interesting. Let a low-energy position battle play out and then scour a barren market for the most marginal of upgrades.

Yankees scouring third base market for last-minute upgrades on Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera?

Here's the latest from Brendan Kuty of The Athletic:

"The club especially seems motivated to upgrade at third base, a league source told The Athletic, targeting a right-handed bat to play alongside Oswaldo Cabrera — a switch hitter who’s better from the left side. Cabrera (eight) and Oswald Peraza (10) lead the team by far in starts at third base with DJ LeMahieu (calf) hurt and out for the start of the season. But Peraza, while once a highly-touted prospect, hasn’t hit this spring (.184 BA, 38 at-bats) and the Yankees haven’t shown much faith in him as a big-league starter in the past. Yet, if the Yankees can’t get anything done, they’ll roll with Peraza, who is expected to at least provide high-level defense."

So what does this mean? Well, one of two things. Most notably, it could mean Peraza is done in the Bronx. He has no options remaining, and it's doubtful the organization is going to hitch its wagon to somebody who is hitting .200 with a .498 OPS in 40 at-bats this spring. As much as we defend Peraza for how he was seemingly screwed out of the 2023 Opening Day starting shortstop job, he's now failed to make an impact on two separate occasions when he's been called upon to do so. In fact, he couldn't quite possibly have done worse.

On a lesser note, the Yankees are, in a sense, disrespecting Cabrera, who has played good defense and delivered with the bat this spring. He's hitting .333 with a .900 OPS in 36 at-bats. Why not just make him the full-time third baseman instead of looking for whatever scraps are remaining on the trade market?

Counterpoint: Cabrera is certainly best utilized as a super utility player. We can understand the organization's thinking on that front except ... he played most of his games at third base last year? Wouldn't they just be better off giving someone like Jorbit Vivas an Opening Day shot? He's someone with a lot of experience at second and third base, which can give the Yankees flexibility with Jazz Chisholm.

All in all, we're just trying to understand going outside the organization for a platoon third base option. If they were chasing a high-profile star or someone who was unexpectedly available on the trade market that would change the complexion of the lineup, that's a different story. But nothing's led us to believe that's the case.

The Yankees are stuck with what they have. It is a mess of their own making. And instead of continuing to block talent (like Peraza previously and Vivas right now), they might as well see what they have and prepare to make splashes at the trade deadline, with hopes their farm system climbs the ranks so they have assets to move.