Oswald Peraza’s move to the Los Angeles Angels about an hour before the deadline expired caught us all off guard. As the New York Yankees acquired both Amed Rosario and Austin Slater, Peraza was barely holding on to a spot on the roster. That explains his move to Anaheim during Thursday’s three-hour rain-delayed game against the Rays. He was once viewed as a top-100 prospect for the Yankees. Now, he has been traded in exchange for outfielder Wilberson De Peña and international bonus pool money.

While upgrading from .152 hitter Peraza, the Bronx Bombers acquired Tampa Bay Rays’ star infielder Jose Caballero. It’s not just us; Peraza was just as surprised by this trade.

In a conversation with SNY’s reporters, he said, “Yeah, definitely wasn’t expecting that—a trade or anything like that, you know. At the same time, everything happens for a reason.” It shook him, but still he remained composed. “I’m going to be forever grateful to the Yankees organization for giving me an opportunity,” he admitted.

Apparently, it’s his glove that proved not to be enough for the Yankees. They once bet on him for a starting shortstop role during the ALCS against the Houston Astros. Then they appeared to quickly decide that Peraza’s tools were just not enough. Yet, the Yankees didn’t get enough in return for Peraza’s trade. It all adds up after insider Joel Sherman shed some light on the deal.

He revealed that the 18-year-old De Peña is from the Angels’ rookie team, along with some international signing money. He’s batting .227 at one of the lowest levels of the Angels’ minor leagues. On the other hand, the 25-year-old Peraza has hit only .152, with a poor 26 OPS+.

On the defensive side, Peraza still has the tools to deliver occasional doubles. However, his performance fell short of the Yankees’ expectations. As soon as the news of his trade broke, it’s safe to say that it broke Yankees fans’ hearts. According to them, he wasn’t given enough chances.

Anthony Volpe, another Yankees shortstop, has struggled mightily this season. He’s leading the league with 16 errors. In a recent game against the Rays, he committed two errors. Regarding this, Aaron Boone said after the game. “I mean one thing for certain, he’s really, really good out there, and he’s clearly had some struggles. He’ll get through it.”

Time and again, he has defended Volpe. Considering that, fans believe Peraza didn’t get his fair share of chances to prove his impact.

Yankees’ fans bid a bittersweet goodbye to Oswald Peraza

Soon after the news broke, Peraza made a media appearance, and his last few words as a Yankee deeply touched the Yankees’ nation. They immediately went online, and for many, his departure felt personal and unfair.

The most popular reaction was “He never had a fair shot, unlike Volpe.” The Yankees didn’t take much time to address their infield struggles. They cut ties with DJ LeMahieu, they brought in Ryan McMahon, and made several acquisitions to fix all their gaps. However, one of the most glaring gaps has been Volpe’s defensive struggles. He’s slashing only .217/.285/.415 with the most (16) errors across the league.

Yet, Boone and Brian Cashman always manage to defend his slump publicly. And it didn’t sit well with fans. “Gutted for him, just couldn’t figure out the bat AT ALL but his glove is a helluva lot more legit than “Gold Glover” Anthony Volpe.” After Volpe’s Gold Glove rookie season, he only briefly appeared as a solution for the Yankees. But soon enough, that was no longer the case. If anything, his errors are contributing massively to the Yankees’ losses.

In fact, he was met with boos after Wednesday’s game against the Rays as he recorded his 16th error. That being the case, why weren’t the Yankees patient with Peraza? Well, only Boone or Cashman could answer that. Despite it all, he was “still wearing his Yankee gear too 🥺,” as noted by a fan. He was all set to move to Los Angeles; still, from head to toe, he was donning Yankees gear in the media appearance. It didn’t go unnoticed by fans. His love for the Bronx was clear to all.

Another fan noted, “Nah, that sucks, man; he’s been here since he was a kid. But I wish him the best for the angels; do great for them.” It’s certainly heartwrenching. After all, Peraza has spent his entire major league journey in the Bronx. He joined the Yankees club back on July 16 as an international free agent from Venezuela. Soon, in 2022, he appeared in the big leagues. Since that day, he has played 145 games.

Now, there’s one thing we can wish for. “Wish it worked out for him here; wish him the best of luck in LA.” Perhaps it was time for Peraza to get a fresh start. Amid all the roster shuffles and inconsistent playing time, he didn’t get the stability he needed with the Yankees.

Do you think Peraza will find his footing with the Angels?

⁣