The San Diego Padres are actively engaged in trade discussions involving veteran relief pitcher Wandy Peralta, according to reporting from The Post's Jon Heyman. The team's recent performance, which has seen them sit at 50-51 entering Wednesday, suggests they may become sellers as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches.
Peralta, 34, is in the third year of a four-year contract signed in 2024 after departing the New York Yankees. Despite his age, the left-handed reliever has posted a 2.32 ERA over 43 appearances this season, striking out 32 batters in 50 ⅓ innings. He was particularly effective in June, allowing no earned runs across 18 innings and holding opponents to a .422 OPS.
His pitching profile includes a 48.3 percent ground-ball rate and a low rate of home runs allowed, at just 0.72 per nine innings. Peralta previously played for the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, and the Yankees before joining the Padres in 2024. His ERA with San Diego has steadily decreased since his arrival, from 3.99 in 2024 to 3.14 last year.
Peralta also had a successful tenure with the Yankees from 2021-23, maintaining an ERA below 3.00 and recording 133 strikeouts in over 150 innings pitched. A potential return to New York could be an option, given his past performance there.
The Padres' bullpen could be subject to significant changes, as closer Mason Miller's future with the team also remains uncertain. Miller has been one of the league's top relievers this season, with an 0.86 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 41 ⅔ innings.