Yankees wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on MLB insider's Freddy Peralta trade

The New York Yankees just saw their rival, the Boston Red Sox, improve their starting rotation with the addition of Sonny Gray. This might have the Yankees reflecting on the strength of their own rotation, especially with the assumption that the Red Sox may not be done adding to their staff.

Boston has been linked to Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, and the Yankees could kill two birds with one stone by trading for Peralta themselves and thereby keeping him away from Boston’s No. 2 starter job. Brewers GM Matt Arnold hasn’t ruled out trading Peralta, but he did say that he’d have to be blown away by an offer for Freddy. Translation: Peralta is on the table (for the right price).

With that in mind, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently concocted some mock trades for Peralta. When it came to the Yankees, Bowden’s imaginary trade was something that Yankees GM Brian Cashman wouldn’t hesitate for a second to pull the trigger on.

Jim Bowden’s Freddy Peralta trade idea for the Yankees is a no-brainer

Bowden suggested a package of right-handed pitcher Will Warren and shortstop Jose Caballero for Peralta. With the Yankees expected to have Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Cam Schlittler as their first four starters in 2026 (eventually), Warren would ostensibly be competing for the fifth starter role and might not earn it, making his value to New York far lower than it would be in Milwaukee.

Warren is still only 26 years old and — as Bowden pointed out — has a plus fastball. The Brewers can turn that kind of starting pitcher into magic, as they did with 25-year-old Quinn Priester in 2025 after Priester was acquired from the Red Sox.

Caballero might be even more valuable to Milwaukee. He’s already a prototypical Brewers player with speed, intangibles, and endless infield versatility. Bowden acknowledged that the Yankees might be taking a risk if they traded Caballero, given that Anthony Volpe will miss the first phase of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

But c’mon, would the Yankees really pass up the opportunity to get Peralta for this reason? Surely, they’d be able to find a temporary fill-in at shortstop if they’ve already given up on upgrading over Volpe and Caballero completely at the position (hopefully not).

This would be a no-brainer trade for the Yankees. The question is whether or not it’s realistic. If the Brewers were to actively field offers for Peralta, they’d likely receive a more appealing package from someone than this Caballero-Warren offer.

Nonetheless, this package feels like it would be a good starting point for Cashman in negotiations with Milwaukee. Peralta is worth a call, especially if the Red Sox are already on the line with Arnold. A potential Yankees rotation of Fried, Cole, Peralta, Rodón and Schlittler? Wow, that's almost Dodger-like in its on-paper beauty.