The Yankees have added flexibility with three top young players, adding much-needed depth.
Oswaldo Peraza, Yoendriz Gomez and Luis Gil have one minor league option remaining, the paper reported. That means the Yankees can move them back and forth between the Bronx and the minor leagues in 2024 without putting them on waivers.
When a player is added to a team's 40-man roster, he or she typically has an option to the minor leagues for three seasons.
Peraza, like Gomez and Gil, was added to the 40-man roster after the 2020 season and used all three of his options after being optioned in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
But per the rules, and contrary to public information, Peraza, Gomez and Gil are eligible for an additional option year.
Players who have not been on a major league or minor league roster for at least 90 days (often due to injury) for five seasons are eligible for the fourth option.
The added roster flexibility is critical for the Yankees.
In Peraza's case, absent an extended option year, the Yankees face the prospect of having to keep him on the major league roster for the entire season, potentially in a bench role unless one of their starting infielders gets injured. Highly sexual.
He's still a trade candidate, even if his value isn't as high as it was when he was one of the Yankees' top prospects, but acquiring the additional option makes him a little more attractive on a contract. Maybe.
That also applies to Gomez and Gil.
For now, their additional options will help the Yankees maintain top-level pitching depth, but the Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo trades and the Rule 5 Draft added depth in that area this offseason. It's no small thing after the short time.
The key is being able to acquire a pitcher who can move between the majors and minors during a season (with a five-round option per season).
The Yankees benefited from that last year with Johnny Brito and Randy Vazquez. They often took the shuttle from the Bronx to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, offering spot starts and insurance in the bullpen.
With Soto's blockbuster picks Brito and Vazquez now in San Diego, the Yankees need weapons like those who can freely go from Triple-A to the majors without being put on waivers this season.
This offseason, the Yankees are still trying to fill out their rotation with established Major League starters, but at some point during the season they'll have players like Gomez, Gil, Cody Poteet, Clayton Beater, Will Warren, and Cody. It will be necessary to bring in players with deep depth. Morris all have minor league options remaining.
In 2023, the Yankees were plagued by two players who were no longer available as minor league options and went their separate ways.
Albert Abreu is often the last arm of the bullpen, and unless the Yankees didn't want to put him on waivers or risk losing him for that matter, he was sent to Triple-A while he was struggling. He was a candidate to be sent.
Esteban Florial, on the other hand, was named to the Opening Day roster, but he was not optioned and the Yankees needed a roster spot, so he was only designated for assignment for one game of the season.
He remained with the organization without being claimed on waivers, but the Yankees did not recall him until September, as they could lose him on waivers if they had to take him off the roster again.
Instead, the Yankees were able to keep Florial on the roster for the final few weeks of the season, then traded Florial to the Guardians in December for Morris.
