Dodgers sign outfielder David Peralta to one-year deal
The Dodgers have reportedly signed outfielder David Peralta to a one-year contract through the 2023 season.
First reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, the deal is reportedly worth $6.5 million and could reach $8 million if Peralta reaches a number of statistic-based incentives.
Outfielder David Peralta and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a one-year, $6.5 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Incentives can take the deal to $8 million. Peralta, 35, joins Trayce Thompson, Chris Taylor and others likely to get left-field ABs.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 10, 2023
Peralta, 35, hails from Venezuela and is heading into his 10th big league season. Prior to 2022 he had spent the entire of his MLB career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, though he first signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher in 2004. After he was released in 2009, Peralta bounced around various independent baseball leagues before the D-Backs took a shot and signed him in 2013.
He was traded midway through the 2022 season, ending up with the Tampa Bay Rays. Between the two teams he hit .251 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs.
In nine professional seasons, Peralta has 1,001 hits, 110 home runs and 486 RBIs to the tune of a lifetime .281 batting average.
He was awarded a Silver Slugger Award in 2018 and a Gold Glove Award in 2019.
It's not immediately clear where Peralta slots into the Dodgers current lineup, though he could be vying for an outfield spot with the likes of Trayce Thompson, as both Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts figure to hold the other two positions. Regardless, he should be a valuable defensive option with some solid left-handed pop at the plate for the Boys in Blue.