Yankees infielder Jace Peterson has elected free agency after clearing waivers, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports via Twitter. The 27-year-old Peterson was designated for assignment on Tuesday to make room for Shane Robinson, who has since been outrighted off the club’s roster.
It’s certainly been a steady fall from prospect status for Peterson, who not long ago was considered a potential second baseman of the future for a Braves club that acquired him as one of the key pieces in the second Justin Upton trade. Though he seemed to have some upside as a utility player as recently as last season, he’s only got a .234/.320/.331 career batting line. That’s likely a large part of the reason that the Braves decided to non-tender him this past winter rather than pay him a relatively meager projected salary of $1.1MM.
Peterson wasn’t given much of a chance with the Yankees, even though he collected a walk and three hits during his brief ten plate appearance tenure in the Bronx. He came up to fill in around the infield when Brandon Drury was placed on the DL, but the presence of Ronald Torreyes made him expendable. Peterson will now seek to latch on with a new club in need of a utility infielder.
walls17
gone but never forgotten. we love you, jace. god speed and good luck
TradeAcuna
Dudgers maybe?
Gwynning's Anal Lover
Rangers? Dodgers?
Michael Chaney
The Rangers were my first thought too with the infield injuries they’ve had already
wadewar
Orioles?
atlho
always likes Jace when he was with the braves. wasn’t always the greatest hitter but played hard ans could get hot with the bat from time to time.
srechter
Gah, I liked Jace. Premium plate discipline coupled with valuable defensive versatility. The total offensive package hasn’t come to be in the majors, but I think there’s a decent ceiling remaining in his repertoire.
pt57
Right. If a team wants to carry 13 pitchers, having someone who can cover multiple positions is valuable. He’ll never hit for power, but if can consistently put up a .330-.340 obp, he should have a long career.
slowcurve
I stopped reading this comment after Gah.
SabrinasDaddy
Come to LA Jace…
stubby66
It kinda makes me wonder if teams gave up on him too soon, hopefully he can get another chance like Casey McGhee. Think he could still have a career like him possibly
RunDMC
When was Jace Peterson ever considered ATL’s “2B of the future”? We had Peraza (SS/2B) and Albies (SS, later converted to 2B) at that time.
Peterson was a side piece in the J-Up deal that centered on a TJ-rehabbing Max Fried, with Dustin Peterson/Mallex Smith. Mallex helped obtain Luiz Gohara & Dustin Peterson is rebounding from a bad (injury) 2017, while Fried has not gotten a chance to stick in the majors. Not that bad of a deal for 1 year of J-Up.
slowcurve
My thoughts exactly. Jace was simply a stop-gap, future bench piece.