Report: Yankees Have Their Eyes On Braves' Second Base Prospect Peraza
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A lot of fans were miffed when the Yankees decided at the end of spring training to send second base prospect Robert Refsnyder back to the minors.
Veteran Stephen Drew is the Bombers' starter, but that doesn't mean he, or Refsnyder or even youngster Jose Pirela will be the answer at the position in the future.
That could be because the Yankees are reportedly intrigued by Atlanta Braves infield prospect Jose Peraza, the New York Post reported on Thursday.
During a recent interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he expected Refsnyder to eventually be a major league-caliber player, but his defense has held him back. The 24-year-old prospect has followed up suspect play in the field during spring training with three more errors in six games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Post reported.
Pirela, who has had his moments, is still working his way back from a concussion.
Peraza, a 21-year-old from Venezuela who is playing his first season for Triple-A Gwinnett of the International League, is a career .304 hitter in the minors. Though not known for his power, Peraza has a .350 on-base percentage and 178 steals in 230 career attempts.
According to the Post, the Yankees have sent scouts to see Peraza and have expressed their interest to the Braves. The newspaper speculated that the Bombers could offer a package that includes catching prospect Gary Sanchez.
The Yankees (3-6) open a weekend series in Tampa against the Rays on Friday.
