Yankees trade rumor surfaces late at Winter Meetings and gives fans reason to believe

MLB's Winter Meetings have come and gone, and the New York Yankees didn't give their fans anything to get excited about, outside of some buzzy banter from general manager Brian Cashman.

The rest of the American League East, meanwhile, has been walking the walk, making Cashman's dormant checkbook appear even uglier. The Baltimore Orioles made a surprise splash and signed Pete Alonso. Prior to the Meetings, the Toronto Blue Jays had already landed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce; the Boston Red Sox likewise bolstered their rotation with Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo.

And the Yankees? Well, let's just say that the offseason is far from over, and thus judgment cannot yet rain down upon Cashman. Who knows, maybe his inaction will end up looking like prudent and savvy patience in a month. It all depends on what Cashman does next (provided he does something).

MLB pundits are saying he will. The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported this week that Cashman was "waiting to pounce". Bowden predicted that the Yanks will end up signing one of Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker, and also mentioned that Cashman will add another starting pitcher. Another report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon — released at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings — suggested who that pitcher could be for the Yankees: Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

Yankees are reportedly pursuing Freddy Peralta via trade

"The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros are among the teams in on Peralta, according to people familiar with the Brewers’ discussions," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote on Wednesday night.

Rosenthal and Sammon also indicated that the Mets could join in on the Peralta fun, depending on the asking price. That's really the only question that matters about a potential Peralta trade — what Brewers GM Matt Arnold will demand in return for the two-time All-Star right-hander. Peralta's value from a production standpoint couldn't be any clearer. At 29, he's probably reached his ceiling (or mighty close to it), but he also isn't likely to suffer a drop in quality in 2026, which is the last year of his current deal.

Peralta's in his prime. What you're getting from him is an ace-level arm at his absolute best and/or a No. 2 or No. 3 starter on a more mundane day, especially if you're adding him to a rotation already featuring a superior arm or two (such as the Yankees).

With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón on ice and expected to miss the first chunk of the season, Peralta would be an enormous get for Cashman. It would also be incredibly deflating for the right-hander to land with the Red Sox or Orioles. Cashman may have played things slow during Winter Meetings, but a Peralta deal would make fans forget about all of that very quickly.