The New York Yankees have given away some highly coveted assets. This off-season came with a major urge to regain their stance as a powerful force in baseball, especially after delivering a sub-par season in 2023. Well, acquiring Juan Soto was a big step in that direction. But the Yankees did pay a hefty price to the San Diego Padres. 

Two powerful pitchers formerly from the Bronx will call Petco Park their new home ground. With them being two important pieces from the pitching roster for the Yanks, the Padres have a great opportunity to extract the best from them. How will both the lefties serve the Friars? 

Wandy Peralta Joins Michael King In San Diego

A source close to the franchise spoke to the Associated Press about the free-agent reliever acquisition. Per the latest update on Wednesday, Wandy Peralta and the San Diego Padres are going ahead with a $16.5 million contract over four years. The deal consists of opt-outs after each of the first three seasons. The anonymous source also mentioned that there is a pending physical exam and is yet to be finalized.

Peralta, the 32-year-old who spent the last three seasons in New York earned the love of fans. Apart from that, he recorded a 2.83 ERA in 63 appearances going 4-2 with four saves in 2023. His strike-out stats recorded 51 and 30 walks in 54 innings. Considering these, he seems like a good fit for the Padres. One can consider the deal sealed as he sets foot into a new team across the country. 

Well, Michael King would be the happiest with this news. King was one of the five players whom the Yankees had to give away in the blockbuster trade sending slugger (then) Padres’ Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham into the Pinstripes last December. Well, the Padres are currently in need of firming up their roster behind Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Michael King. 

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San Diego Padres’ Stance in 2024

On one hand, San Diego is yet to fill some big holes heading into spring training. On the other, thankfully they have a well-stocked bullpen despite efforts to cut costs. They recently signed Woo-Suk Go, right-hander from South Korea, and Yuki Matsui, a southpaw from Japan. That said, the club is making efforts to regain their stand financially. 

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Following their attempt to be more economical they are also trying to recover from the flop season they had in 2023. They missed the playoffs despite their $258 million payroll on opening day. It’s possible that 2024 will be a year of change for them. After all two power-packed, energetic folks have entered San Diego from the Bronx.