In mid-February, the Dodgers decided to sign David Peralta and they agreed to a 1-year deal. David Peralta made it into the bid leagues in 2014. From 2014 to 2022, he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last July, he was traded to the Rays. After reading the news that Peralta would return to the National League West. I’m thinking about a free agent that the Dodgers signed a few years ago.
In 2019, the Dodgers signed free agent AJ Pollock on a 4-year deal. Well, Pollock didn’t stay with the Dodgers for 4 years. However, he played for the Dodgers from 2019 to 2021. During these 3 seasons, Pollock slashed .282/.337/.519 with 52 home runs and 150 RBI in 258 games. Pollock’s best season with the Dodgers was in 2021, in that season, he batted .297/.355/.536 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI in 117 games. Signing AJ Pollock wasn’t a bad decision, but he did miss some playing due to injuries.
So, is signing David Peralta a good decision?
Firstly, let’s take a look at Peralta’s performance at Dodger stadium. In total, Peralta played 58 games at the Dodger stadium. However, it wasn’t easy for him to hit against the Dodgers. By far, his batting average at Dodger stadium is only .226 and his OPS is below .700. Additionally, he crushed 3 home runs and collected 15 RBI.
In addition, David Peralta made it into the big leagues in 2014. By far in his career, there are 3 times that he finished the season with an OPS of .800 or higher. The last time that he had an OPS over .800 was in 2019. Last season, Peralta hit .251/.316/.415 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI. Well, Peralta’s OPS was below .750 in each of the last 2 seasons.
David Peralta already turned 35 last August. He’s not that young. But, there’s something we can’t ignore. By far in Peralta’s career, he’s hitting .294/.350/.486 with 93 home runs and 391 RBI against right-handed pitchers. His OPS against righties is .836. Against lefties, Peralta’s OPS is only .663. Moreover, last season, he slashed .267/.329/.449 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI against right-handed pitchers. Against left-handed pitchers, Peralta’s batting average was only .154. Therefore, it’s highly possible that the Dodgers will frequently let David Peralta hit against right-handed pitchers and will avoid letting Peralta hit against southpaws.
In the 2022 season, the Dodgers were actually doing a great job against right-handed pitchers. Against righties, they had an OPS of .783, the best among 30 MLB teams. However, there are some concerns. Star players Max Muncy and Chris Taylor each had an OPS below .750 against right-handed pitchers. Moreover, Cody Bellinger was DFA’d by the Dodgers and decided to sign with the Cubs. When we look at the Dodgers outfield now, Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor and Trayce Thomson are all right-handed hitters. Thus, for the Dodgers, adding a veteran outfielder, who has shown that he can hit against right-handers, is a reasonable decision and will add flexibility to the lineup.
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