Jose Caballero trade gives Yankees new life after failed Oswald Peraza tenure

José Caballero smiled, no longer needing a translator for this answer.

“I was winning today regardless,” Caballero said.

He started the day on the losing side.

He finished on the winning side. 

Oswald Peraza’s failed Yankees tenure is over.

But the Yankees replaced him with a new utilityman — from the opposing dugout — in Caballero. 

They traded Peraza to the Angels just ahead of the deadline Thursday in exchange for outfield prospect Wilberson De Pena and international money.

Then they brought in the speedy Caballero from the Rays — whom the Yankees beat 7-4 on Thursday afternoon in The Bronx — for outfield prospect Everson Pereira and a player to be named later. 

Caballero, who said he grew up a Yankees fan, could be seen hugging teammates in the Rays dugout after getting pulled from the game and learning of the news.

His commute to his new team couldn’t have been easier, only needing to go from the visiting to home team clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. 

“Everything happened so quickly,” Caballero said through translator Marlon Abreu. “You have to pick up and move over, switch teams and now you gotta give your best and hopefully bring a championship to this city. 

“I like to play the game hard. I like to compete. I like to give everything I have. I like winning.” 

Peraza, still just 25, had been one of the Yankees’ top prospects in recent years — No. 2 in 2022 and No. 3 in 2023, per MLB Pipeline — but has struggled mightily in the majors. Now, he gets a shot to salvage his career on the West Coast. 

After the Yankees DFA’d DJ LeMahieu earlier this month, Peraza got a run of starts at third base with an opportunity to win the job.

But he had brutal production at the plate and made several mistakes in the field, doing nothing to prove he can be a long-term answer at the position.

And the Yankees’ decision to acquire third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies meant Peraza’s role was again diminished. 

“I’ll be forever grateful to the Yankees organization for giving me an opportunity to embark on my career,” Peraza said through the translator. “Just grateful for that. It’s kind of tough, my energy level might be a little low right now, but everything happens for a reason and I keep moving forward.” 

Caballero will fill the backup shortstop and third baseman void left by Peraza’s departure, but he has plenty of defensive versatility.

Beyond those two positions, he has played all three outfield spots along with second base.

He entered Thursday with an MLB-high 34 steals and led the American League with 44 last year.

He owns a .226/.311/.331 slash line this year with a .638 OPS. 

“With José Caballero, we got a nice athletic infielder that can defend and pinch-run at a high level,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “So that’s a nice weapon.”

Cashman insisted that the addition of Caballero was not related to the recent defensive struggles of shortstop Anthony Volpe — who the organization has staunchly defended throughout — and was more about improving the Yankees’ versatility, depth and speed off the bench.

Caballero also has minor league options remaining, giving the Yankees greater roster flexibility than they had with Peraza (who was out of options).