When Brian Cashman met the media prior to Monday’s Yankees-Mets game, one of the questions he was asked was something Yankees fans have likely been wondering for a week now: why, when Oswaldo Cabrera and Estevan Florial were called up, was Oswald Peraza not an option?
As it turns out, the answer is the simplest one: there wasn’t a spot.
“We just looked at who was the best guy to call up right now for the role,” Cashman said about the call-up of Cabrera. “Peraza has been a shortstop most of the time, while Cabrera has bounced around to a lot of positions, including the outfield right before his call-up.”
Indeed, it was simple roster mechanics, Cashman said, as rather than bring up Peraza and use him as a utility man (or install him at short and move Isiah Kiner-Falefa into that role), they chose to bring up an actual utility player.
“When the need arose, we had some issues at third with LeMahieu and guys getting overtaxed with playing time,” Cashman said. “We saw Cabrera could spell Gleyber at second, or DJ at third, and next thing you know, boom, he’s in the outfield.”
Indeed, Cabrera has played second, third, shortstop, and right field in his first six MLB games, after playing all four of those plus left field in Triple-A. Peraza, meanwhile, has been a true shortstop, with just 11 games at second base and none anywhere else in his minor-league career.
Nine of those 11 games at second have come this year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and at some point, either he or top prospect Anthony Volpe is going to have to move off shortstop if both are going to be long-term Yankees – but for now, with Volpe still in Double-A, Cashman is keeping everyone in their lanes.
“We’re excited about Peraza and his future, but it comes down to the role,” the GM said. “He’s really athletic and an exciting kid, but there hasn’t been a lane yet for him when an opportunity opened up.”
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