PHOENIX (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired outfielder David Peralta from the Arizona Diamondbacks, adding a veteran left-handed bat for the playoff race.
The Rays sent 19-year-old minor league catcher Christian Cerda to the Diamondbacks.
The 34-year-old Peralta has played his entire nine-year MLB career with the D-backs, where he won a Silver Slugger award in 2018 and a Gold Glove in 2019. His bat has slowed in recent seasons, but he’s still very good against right-handed pitching.
Peralta — a fan favorite in Arizona — has a .248 average, 12 homers and 41 RBIs this season.
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said making the trade made sense for the organization, especially since Peralta is a free agent in a few months, but it was still a difficult moment.
“It was a tough conversation, it was emotional conversation,” Hazen said. “He brought energy, enthusiasm and he was a really good player for us.”
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Peralta’s unique background endeared him to many baseball fans. He was a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization before injuries led to his release in 2009. He then played independent ball, and was signed by the D-backs as an outfielder in 2013 before making the big leagues in 2014.
Cerda is batting .315 in rookie-level ball.
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