One reason the Yankees didn’t trade for a left fielder? Everson Pereira is expected soon
Prior to last week’s trade deadline, the Yankees were looking for either a right-handed hitting left fielder to pair with Billy McKinney and Jake Bauers, or an everyday player to take over that position.
There are many reasons why the Yankees didn’t buy more aggressively at the deadline, not least among them a feeling by team brass that the 2023 club’s chances did not justify trading prospects. The subsequent losses of Domingo German, Anthony Rizzo and Carlos Rodon, and continued decline of Luis Severino, have further justified that stance.
But a more positive reason why the Tommy Phams of the world ended up elsewhere was the Yankees’ belief that prospect Everson Pereira would be in New York soon. Pereira, the Yankees calculated, would be better suited to the defensive requirements of that position than the available big leaguers.
His promotion is expected this year, according to people with direct knowledge of the team’s thinking.
The Yankees have always valued speed and range in left field, in part because the position at Yankee Stadium is larger by square footage than most other ballparks. For more than 30 years the team has prioritized hitting for contact, power and fielding over all other tools for left field; that explains why Brett Gardner held the position for so long.
Pereira, 22, fits that profile. He hits the ball hard all over the field and also for power, and has the speed and range to grade above-average on the field tool, according to evaluators who know him well.
In fact, Pereira has the speed and range to play at least a passable center field, those evaluators say. And while the Yankees have long believed that a strong throwing arm is the least important quality in a left fielder, Pereira’s arm is strong enough to play right field, where that skill is essential.
In other words, his tools are solid enough for all three outfield positions, which could make him an excellent left fielder.
Pereira has been with the Yankees since signing as an amateur out of Venezuela in 2017. Like every prospect in his generation, the pandemic interrupted his development, but he posted a strong season last year across High-A and Double-A, posting a combined .819 OPS with 14 home runs.
This year, he has a .925 OPS and 15 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A. His numbers are stronger at the higher level.
No matter where the Yankees stand in the pennant race, Pereira is on track to debut at the highest level before the year is out.
