The Cardinals have released infielder Jhonny Peralta, per a club announcement. The veteran had recently been designated for assignment.
It’s no surprise that Peralta cleared waivers. He’s earning $10MM in 2017, the final season of the four-year free agent deal he signed when he joined the Cards.
At 35 years of age, Peralta seems to have hit a wall. After struggling through an injury-riddled 2016 campaign, there was hope that he’d bounce back this year. But he’s hitting only .204/.259/.204 through 58 plate appearances.
The story is similar on the defensive side of the spectrum. Generally regarded as a solid, albeit unspectacular shortstop, Peralta has drawn negative reviews for his glovework since the start of 2015 — even after moving over to third base last year. DRS and UZR have both pegged him at average thus far in 2017, though that’s in a sample of just 114 innings.
Still, it’s easy to imagine rival organizations taking a look at a player who was an All-Star in 2015. That’s especially true since Peralta can be had for the league-minimum salary, with St. Louis continuing to pay the vast majority of his salary. Even if he’s not capable of handling short on a day-to-day basis, it helps that he brings so much experience at the position. All said, for clubs in need of some versatility around the diamond, taking a chance on the 15-year MLB veteran may hold quite a bit of appeal.
Potential Yankees play at 3rd base?
Are you nuts!
Already have a veteran who hit better than Peralta. Plus Torres is in AAA
Torres is playing SS for New York period. Maybe not immediately but they should do what they did with the cubs. Castro at 2nd Russell at SS. Castro will be the odd man again. Didi is slightly better than Castro.
He can’t be any crappier than Chase Headley has been, but I still don’t think he’s worth taking a chance one. Someone will give him a deal though.
Headly has 25 rbis. Peralta has 0 yea he’s way worst,
Peralta has an isolated power of 0 yes he is worse
.204/.259/.204/.462, 27 OPS+ …Peralta
.230/.310/.343/.653, 73 OPS+ …Headley
Peralta has been nearly 200 OPS and 50 OPS+ points worse so far, so where exactly do you get the “cant be any crappier” belief?
If anything, it is nearly impossible to get any crappier than Peralta has been
To make these comparisons is absolutely farcical and ridiculous. How can you actually compare Headley to Peralta this year? Headley has had 243 PA and 215 AB, Peralta has had 58 PA and 53 AB, so Headley has had 185 more PA’s. Get a clue. If Peralta had the same amount of PA’s or AB’s as Headley then call him out. 53 at bats is nothing, it’s approximately 13-15 full games and he’s played 21 so he had a few games of 1 AB PH. You call that a good sample? It isn’t.
First, learn what context is.
Second, 2015-17 at 3B;
0.8 WAR – Peralta
5.1 WAR – Headley
So all I can say is, take your damn meds and get a freakin clue
Turn in your fan card!
They’re going to need someone to take over for Chase. He’s so bad.
Of the 41 Third Basemen with at least 100 PA, Chase ranks 24th in WAR
So don’t be overly dramatic. He’s not all that great but it’s not like he has been THAT bad, and things could actually be MUCH worse
If you’ve watched Peralta at third, you’d understand why that’s a bad idea. Headley isn’t having a great year and he looks like he might be nearing the end, but his defense is at least adequate.
When did you watch him? He’s hardly played many full games. He played 8 full games in April, 4 full games in May, and 2 in June and made 2 errors in one game in his limited playing time and 114 innings of baseball, so you’re talking garbage. 34 Chances 21 Assists 11 PO………..
You’re the guy that said Nori Aoki should be in AAA.
finally, the Cardinals could not play him because of there being to many infielders. Now he can go to a team in need for third or short probably boston
Rays all day
No way he ends up in Boston, we need someone who can hit better than that we aren’t going to waste money on someone who might not even be considered an upgrade at the position. I see him going to a team like the Marlins who are in need of infield help
Whoever signs him would only have to pay the pro-rated league minimum. And if he can’t hit better than Rutledge/Sandoval/Marrero, then he has more problems than he/we think.
look at his slugging he is worse than those guys
He needs at bats. I still believe there is something there. Not nearly what it use to be but better than Boston has now.
What, in the huge amount of 53 AB’s he’s had.
So glad he’s gone
Red Sox
Don’t agree with Boston not being interested. Rutledge is best served as a utilityman and if Holt shows no improvement, the risk is not financial as they’ll be paying the prorated minimum. Why not take a flyer? If he struggles out of the box, he gets cut.
the way it’s going this year he’ll probably end up on the giants – I mean they have already thrown their lot in this year with hill. hundley, ruggiano, in the spring – rollins…
SanFran has Jae-Gyun Hwang learning American ball in AAA. There is no reason he can’t continue to work on the adjusting while in the ML, and would almost certainly be producing something better than the Mendoza-like bat of Peralta doing it
I would much prefer Howie Kendrick to Peralta in Boston. Love Howie.
Howie at 3b, more than just giving a guy a blow, isn’t the greatest idea. Love the guy, but in LF is probably his best fit. That being said he’s still probably a productive bat at the bottom of the lineup. Albeit, I’m not versed on Peralata or his shortcomings defensively.
I think Howie could have a Bill Mueller-like impact on the Sox. No, he does not address their every need, but neither would Plouffe, Frazier, etc. Selfishly I’ve always loved watching Kendrick play and want him in Boston. I felt the same about Ryan Hanigan, a guy I love watching call a game, and that worked out (in terms of my watching him in a Sox uniform) – fingers crossed.
I was solely talking about defensively. His arm is iffy at 3rd and he’s just not fluid over there.
Understood. Valid point.
Agreed! Howie Kendrick would be great for the Red Sox!
Phillies even with franco
Im sure he’s on a plane to Washington right now. Will probably pinch hit for the Braves tonight.
Hahaha Yankees if ur a real tank fan ur rooting for Boston to sign him lol
2018 starting shortstop for the San Diego Padres.
Heck, they might as well pick him up now.
He should start for Cards. They are dumb as a$$
The infield options:
Gyorko, over 208 PA, has a 1.4 WAR
Wong, over 169 PA, has a 0.6 WAR
Diaz, over 241 PA, has a 0.5 WAR
Peralta, over 58 PA, has a (-)0.4 WAR
They would be dumb to play him – he’s seemingly fallen off the 35yo cliff
Plus DeJong. Dude can rake
That’s maybe the dumbest comment I have ever read on here
Headley has until after the All Star break when Torres is ready to go. Don’t add another vet to get in his way. That’s old Yankees way of thinking. STOP it for the sake of us real fans who have been with the team since most of us were infants
I could see the Padres taking a flyer on this guy.
I’m not sure why the Padres would be interested in a 35-year old reclamation project. But then again, Erick Aybar is the current starting shortstop…
You’re the guy that said Nori Aoki should be in AAA.
I hate to say this, but I could see him going to the Braves. Our 3B haven’t played very well this season. I believe Ruiz needs to get sent back down to AAA yet he is starting at a major league level.
Torres will be in majors soon. Yankees rebuilding their team on the fly with good young talent.
The Jays could use him at second while they put Humpty Dumpty (Devon Travis) back together again.
He should learn to spell his name right. This signing was doomed the day the cards signed him.
53 AB’s is hardly a big sample size. He wasn’t going to play so they released him.