A disappointing Trade Deadline veteran pickup whose function transferring ahead is unclear.
2023 overview
- Rating: 3.34
- 2023 stats: .183/.276/.258 (.534 OPS)
- Date of beginning: May 9, 1990
- 2023 earnings: $4.5 million – $3 million paid by A’s and $150,000 paid by D-Backs
- 2024 standing: Signed via the tip of 2024
Wow, y’all actually favored this man greater than I might have thought.
In the annals of D-Backs historical past, it’s unlikely that Jace Peterson will play a big half. It’s much more seemingly that he offers a superb Immaculate Grid reply as he’s performed for seven groups (Atlanta, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Arizona, San Diego, New York Yankees, and Oakland) throughout 10 seasons. Through most of that point, Peterson has been a serviceable main leaguer that has did not notably distinguish himself apart from stuffing a transaction sheet. It’s additionally a far cry from the potential the Padres noticed within the McNeese State University product again in 2011. In hindsight, one of the unfair lenses available to baseball writers, a number of groups would have been higher served selecting up the unheralded excessive schooler Blake Snell simply six picks earlier.
As a compensatory first-round decide in that 2011 draft, Peterson’s expectations had been seemingly low regardless of a superb junior season that noticed him compile a .335/.449/.473 slash line (.922 OPS). He was additionally touted as a two-sport participant between soccer and baseball, which was really a step down from the three sports activities he performed in highschool with the addition of basketball. Unsurprisingly, he selected baseball when the Padres got here calling with a six determine bonus that pried him away from his senior season with an in any other case comparatively unremarkable Cowboys staff. Before leaving nevertheless, he did handle to set a faculty report in stolen bases with 78 as his athleticism turned his calling card within the draft and early in his skilled profession as he swiped a powerful 51 bases in his first full skilled season within the Padres organization.
He continued to tell apart himself within the subsequent two years as he spent a full season at every affiliate degree and racked up strong slash traces with each. That was sufficient proof for the Padres to offer him a shot in 2014 as he rode the El Paso-San Diego shuttle that positively exists a whopping 5 occasions over the course of the season. Unsurprisingly, he failed to realize any traction or create any rhythm, posting a putrid .113/.161/.113 (.274 OPS) slash line throughout simply 27 video games. Following a disappointing 2014 season that noticed them handle simply 77 wins, the Padres elected to bundle Peterson, Max Fried, Dustin Peterson, and Mallex Smith collectively in a commerce with Atlanta for Aaron Northcraft and Justin Upton. Upton would go on to guide the 2015 Padres to a whopping 74 wins in 2015 whereas Peterson and Atlanta suffered via certainly one of a number of disappointing rebuilding years earlier than their recent stretch of NL East dominance.
That stretch of rebuilding did nevertheless give Peterson the possibility to have a beginning function throughout the Atlanta infield the place he was capable of show his spectacular defensive repertoire. Unfortunately, he did not pair it with any significant offensive prowess as he managed to put up an uninspiring .240/.326/.342 (.669 OPS) slash line in his three seasons within the Peach State. Following the 2017 season that noticed the emergence of Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson, Atlanta elected to maneuver on from Peterson who subsequently signed with the Yankees and appeared in simply three video games earlier than being DFA’d. He was picked up by the then-bottom dwelling Orioles the place he once more did not make an enduring impression on a rebuilding membership and was finally launched within the tail-end of the 2019 season.
Peterson managed his greatest seasons in Milwaukee the place he posted a good .238/.337/.373 (.710 OPS) slash line throughout three seasons. Sadly, even this efficiency wasn’t sufficient to maintain him with the Brew Crew because the lowly Athletics elected to signal him with an eye fixed in direction of flipping him within the following season. Lo and behold, that plan labored to a T because the D-Backs determined to take a flyer on the veteran journeyman on the cost of minor leaguer Chad Patrick following the Paul Sewald commerce that noticed Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone head to Seattle. Unfortunately, whereas Peterson supplied some extra depth at a wanted infield position, he posted a few of his worst offensive numbers in his profession with a disappointing .183/.276/.258 (.534 OPS) slash line down the stretch.
While Peterson was all the time designed to be a depth piece, as Mike Hazen himself acknowledged on the time of the commerce, it’s troublesome to simply accept a bench participant posting such offensive numbers in the long run. Until final Wednesday, Peterson seemingly was the second bench choice for Torey Lovullo going into the 2024 season across the infield. With the addition of Eugenio Suarez nevertheless, his utilization seemingly goes down even additional into an excellent utility function as he has appeared at each attainable fielding position. As it stands now, Peterson initiatives out as a day sport or righty specialist as his splits are marginally higher towards righties than lefites (.631 OPS .493 OPS respectively). There are definitely worse choices for an excellent utility participant that may present some extra management to a still-young staff, nevertheless it’s troublesome to get scorching and bothered over a participant that may seemingly be persevering with his main league journey elsewhere quickly sufficient.
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