The Diamondbacks and outfielder David Peralta are in agreement on a three-year extension that’ll guarantee the ACES client a total of $22MM, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links). He can earn another $1.25MM annually via incentives. The contract will pay Peralta $7MM in 2020 and $7.5MM in each of the two subsequent seasons, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Peralta was arbitration-eligible for the final time and was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $8.8MM. Instead, he’ll sign away a pair of free-agent years on a contract that spans his age-32 through age-34 seasons.
The deal looks to be a sound one for the D-backs, who owed Peralta a raise on last season’s $7MM salary. While the exact number he’d have secured can’t be known, even if he’d fallen shy of his $8.8MM projection, it still looks as though Peralta is signing away two free-agent years at a total of no more than $14MM. That falls a bit shy of what Corey Dickerson just received from the Marlins ($17.5MM), though it’s worth noting that Peralta is a bit older. All the same, Arizona looks to have carved out a nice value with the move.
Peralta, 32, hit .275/.343/.461 (107 wRC+) with a dozen homers, 29 doubles and three triples in 99 games/423 plate appearances with the Snakes in 2019. He endured three separate stints on the injured list due to an issue with the AC joint in his right shoulder, which limited his time on the field and likely helped to sap his production. A year prior, in 2018, Peralta put together then finest season of his career when he slashed .293/.352/.516 with 30 long balls.
Both Baseball-Reference (8.4) and FanGraphs (7.7) agree that Peralta has been worth in the vicinity of eight wins above replacement over the past three years. He’s consistently been an above-average bat and at least an average defender in the outfield corners, and his 2019 season rated particularly well according to most defensive metrics, as he took home a Gold Glove Award. While there’s always some risk of decline as he enters his mid-30s — particularly coming off a shoulder issue — it’s easy to see why the Diamondbacks preferred to keep him in the fold beyond his preexisting level of club control.
From a payroll standpoint, the deal actually helps to lower Arizona’s bottom line in 2020. Peralta’s salary for the coming season is the same as his 2019 salary and $1.8MM shy of where he’d been projected in arbitration, leaving the club with a roughly $114MM payroll (per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez). The D-backs had less than $60MM on the books in 2021 and less than $40MM in 2022 prior to brokering this multi-year arrangement, so fitting him onto the ledger for an additional two seasons was rather easy.
The media made it sound like Peralta would be non tendered or traded. I’m surprised after all that I’ve heard this offseason, but not surprised since he’s been a pretty consistent player except last year, and the DBacks have a shortage of outfielders. Fair deal.
This does not exclude that Peralta could get traded.
But it makes all the sense that Peralta is extended in order to bridge the gap to 2024 when the D-backs should run into contention. Besides, he is a very popular player in Arizona.
Very popular and all the more endearing to see him sign such a team friendly deal when he could have made at least 20 million more than that with a heathy 2020.
It’s not that team friendly He has had 2 healthy seasons. Betting on a healthy season is a quite the crap shoot.
3 seasons with 140 plus and good numbers. He had great numbers last year in his 99 games while playing through pain. But of course what you’re saying is the risk/reward. It’s a good deal that can be a great deal.
Dreadful Snakes – Snakes Alive! – Cash on the Barrelhead
Pretty team friendly deal Hazen struck. If healthy, freight train should easily provide surplus value on that K.
I always forget about this guy. Good all around player. Congrats on your payday
Average defenders don’t win gold gloves.
I said “at least” an average defender each season, as he’s had some lesser-regarded years than this past season’s excellent grades. Still should’ve mentioned the Gold Glove, but juggling arb settlements, this extension, Gyorko signing — and now comments! ‘Tis a fun day.
Thanks for making the correction. Great to see your humility and hard work. David is a beast when it comes to work. He is presently an excellent defender because he works tremendously hard with Dave McKay in the offseason. I’m a lawyer here in AZ and I am thinking of publishing a book about his life.
Excellent defender compared to other LF. If you compare him to other OF his defence probably drops to average or below average.
Left field is a position. OF is not. No, we’re not putting him in CF because he won a GG in LF. We’re not comparing a left fielder to all outfielders. Who does that? Alex Gordon won several GG in left. The Royals didn’t say, “I think he’s good enough to play CF once in awhile to give Cain a break.” We don’t compare all outfielders, just like we don’t compare 1st to 3rd or catching to SS. You know who else was an elite defender: Christian Walker. We’re not going to put him in the outfield because he’s athletic and capable of becoming an elite performer at his position. This isn’t video games. We’ll leave him there and let him stay elite at his position because that’s what smart people do in the real world of baseball. Each position is unique, although some can be elite at several, that’s not the norm. That’s the way baseball works. David was elite last year in LF. Period, full stop, objectively verifiable and not opinion, not up for debate. We don’t get to agree and disagree about facts. Another fact is that Peralta works extremely hard, always has, and Dave McKay deserves a lot of credit for how he helps the outfielders improve. These are facts, not up for debate. You may disagree with facts, but that won’t get you anywhere. Sorry if this hurts your feelings, but your comment was so childish that a response needed to have more point and emphasis.
You said yourself he is an excellent defender. He is not. If Peralta were such an elite defender he would play several positions, like Dyson did. That is a fact too.
But he is not, so therefore he plays LF. That is a fact too.
Christian Walker was tested in LF before last year. That is another fact too.
Christian Walker is not an elite defender. That is a fact too.
Your opinion is debatable. That is a fact too.
My opinion is debatable as well. I except that fact.
You don’t except criticism on your statement. That is a fact too.
Him and Goldy were the faces of the franchise for a while (one more than the other), it’s nice to see him getting the extension he deserves.
Super dope extension, very underrated
This is why I say Hazen is one of the best GMs. He is changing the game. These deals are fantastic. They give the dbacks a chance to get players they need in other positions
So, Steve, do y’all work shifts at MLBTR? So is today your day to write the articles and then tomorrow it will be somebody else, or do y’all each independently field stories?
They keep one of their best hitters for at least 3 more seasons, yet it doesn’t screw them over payroll wise, smart.
Peralta=Giant Killer.
That’s a steal
Peralta always seems to fly under the national radar but the guy has been a stud and still turned in 1.7 WAR even with injuries last season.
Wow great job by the dbacks! The mans consistently above average every year! The snakes have had a fantastic off season
Great signing, Dude is a gamer!!
Good move.