The San Diego Padres are adding a fresh left-handed choice to their bullpen. They have reached a consensus with experienced reliever Wandy Peralta on a four-year contract worth $16.5 million, according to Ken Rosenthal.
The agreement includes three opt-out clauses At the age of 32, Peralta is now part of the Padres following a three-season stint with the New York Yankees. His performance with the Yankees was outstanding, establishing himself as one of the franchise’s most reliable pitchers .In his time with the Yankees, Peralta achieved a 2.82 ERA across 165 appearances, contributing 11 saves and 32 holds to his 10-9 record. During the previous season, he participated in 63 games, securing a 2.83 ERA with 51 strikeouts.
Peralta took the lead in holds for the Yankees in 2023 with 18, and he successfully saved four games out of seven opportunities. Following a challenging start to his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds, Wandy Peralta experienced a positive shift when he was acquired off waivers by the San Francisco Giants in the latter part of the 2019 season.
During his time with the Reds, he recorded a 5.00 ERA in 177 appearances. However, since then, his performance has significantly improved, boasting a 3.01 ERA in 208 games and maintaining a sub-3 ERA in each of the last two seasons.
Finding a substitute for a player as skilled as Josh Hader is a challenging task. Considering their financial constraints at the start of the offseason, the Padres probably anticipated the likelihood of parting ways with their All-Star closer in MLB free agency. Indeed, that’s precisely what transpired, as Hader inked a five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros earlier this month.
In response to this, the majority of San Diego’s offseason moves have centered around bolstering their pitching staff. Four out of the five players acquired from the Yankees in the Juan Soto trade are pitchers. Additionally, the Padres have strengthened their bullpen by signing Yuki Matsui, a five-time NPB All-Star reliever, and Woo Suk Go, a respected Korean reliever.
Despite ranking 10th in bullpen ERA last season, the Padres faced challenges due to inconsistencies that impacted their playoff prospects. While it may not be the primary issue for San Diego to address, AJ Preller and the team are ensuring that the bullpen does not become a potential downfall for the Padres in 2024.