Why Yankees' latest trade doesn't eliminate them from Freddy Peralta sweepstakes

The New York Yankees have acquired a starting pitcher, and his name isn't Freddy Peralta. Just moments ago, Jack Curry of YES Network revealed on the social media platform X that the Yankees have acquired left-handed starter Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins. Marlins insider Craig Mish was first to report the package of prospects that the Yankees gave up to acquire the 26-year-old Weathers, who has three years of team control remaining.

Outfielder prospects Dillon Lewis and Brendan Jones ranked 15th and 16th, respectively, in the Yankees' farm system. Dylan Jasso was New York's 23rd-ranked prospect and Juan Matheus had yet to crack MLB Pipeline's list of the Top 30 Prospects in the Yankees' system.

You might be asking yourself, "What does this have to do with the Milwaukee Brewers?"

Over the past few days, momentum has picked up in regard to a Freddy Peralta trade, and the Yankees have emerged as the leading candidate to land the Brewers' ace. A report from Matthew Trueblood of Brewer Fanatic yesterday morning revealed that the Brewers were "moving toward" a Peralta trade and that the Yankees were the current favorites to land the 2x All-Star. Trueblood also revealed in his article, which is free to read over at brewerfanatic.com and linked below for your convenience, that 2024 Rookie of the Year Luis Gil was one of the players that was being discussed as part of a potential trade package.

Sources: Brewers "Moving Toward" Freddy Peralta Trade, with Yankees in Lead

The Yankees acquiring Weathers just moments ago intuitively suggests that their need for Peralta in 2026 has decreased, seemingly taking them out of the running for a potential blockbuster. However, viewed from another angle, their acquisition of Weathers actually increases the likelihood of them acquiring Peralta in the near future and reinforces Trueblood's report.

Brewers rumored target in Peralta trade with Yankees, Luis Gil, just became far more expendable after New York's latest acquisition

Weathers and Peralta represent two very different acquisitions for the Yankees. The former is a relatively unproven pitcher with several years of team control remaining, who no doubt has the ability to impact the Yankees' rotation in 2026, but also represents more of a long-term play. Peralta, on the other hand, is a rental and represents the type of needle-moving trade that would give the Yankees an edge on their contending division opponents like the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, each of whom has made impactful additions to their rosters this offseason. In other words, it's not crazy to imagine both Weathers and Peralta on the Yankees' roster in 2026.

New York's rotation picture is starting to look rather crowded with Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, 2025 rookie sensation Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Gil, and now Weathers all in the mix. And that's not even including the return of Gerrit Cole, which is expected to occur sometime during the first few months of the 2026 season. However, there's certainly still room for improvement, especially if the Yankees want to solidify themselves as the clear-cut favorites in the AL East. That improvement could come in the form of Peralta, who would immediately take the Yankees' starting staff from a really good rotation to an elite one.

Additionally, the acquisition of Weathers simply makes Luis Gil, another unproven young arm with several years of team control remaining, more expendable. Paired with Trueblood's report, the Yankees acquiring Weathers could simply be a way for them to weather (pun intended) the storm of having to trade away one of their young starters in order to acquire Peralta.

Therefore, while at first glance, the Yankees trading for Weathers appears to directly hurt the chances of the Brewers linking up with them in a blockbuster deal for the second consecutive year, there's no denying that New York's controllable starting pitching, which is what Milwaukee is reportedly prioritizing in a Peralta trade, became more expendable this evening. Such a development might be the security that Brian Cashman needed to ship off one of his talented young arms in exchange for creating an elite starting rotation in the Bronx.