When you’re a rebuilding team, part of the process is throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. Gather a bunch of assets and decide which ones you want when it’s time to compete again. Jose Peraza signed as a flier this offseason, and the infielder did nothing but fail his tryout.
Peraza, 26, spent time with the Dodgers and Reds organizations before signing with Boston this offseason for a one-year, $2.85 million deal. After opening day, Peraza looked like a potential steal. The speedy second baseman went 4-5 with two doubles on Opening Day. After that, things got UGLY.
Since the first game of the season, Peraza has been dreadful. In 33 games, Peraza has gone 21-for-106 (.198) with one home run. Not exactly ideal. Furthermore, he’s also made five errors as well. Today, Boston sent him to AAA Pawtucket, which suggests they will non-tender him during the offseason.
Peraza has good speed, but the man can’t hit. He ranks in the bottom 10th percentile in exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. That means even when Peraza made contact, it didn’t go anywhere and was a soft blooper.
The Red Sox have a lot of infield depth. Jonathan Arauz has done okay as a Rule 5 pick. Michael Chavis hasn’t entirely performed up to expectations, but his raw power is still there. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers aren’t going anywhere. Hell, the way Bobby Dalbec hits dingers, there’s no place on the roster for bloop city, Peraza.
It was a low-risk signing by the Sox that didn’t work out. Peraza had potential as a former top prospect with plus speed. His speed has not translated to the majors, and his defense has been surprisingly bad. The good news is if there was a strong position on the roster, it was the infield depth.
