As the Dodgers head into the offseason, they have some big decisions to make, not only in free agency as a whole but also regarding the expiring contracts of their players, as well.
LA has a few interesting free agents, and the front office will need to see how they fit into the future of the team. One of those is veteran outfielder David Peralta, and it seems that he could end up being the odd man out.
Insider J.P. Hoornstra of The Orange County Register gave insight into what the fate of the Dodgers players could look like in 2024, and it seems like the chances of a reunion with Peralta are pretty bleak.
“The veteran left fielder gave the Dodgers perhaps all they could ask from him (.259, seven homers, 55 RBIs) on a one-year, $6.5 million contract. Peralta turns 37 next season, a tough age to be a part-time corner outfielder in free agency. The Dodgers might consider him redundant if they re-sign Heyward. The emergence of DeLuca, and possibly corner outfield prospect Andy Pages, could have the same effect. In any case, Peralta seems unlikely to be back.”
Los Angeles will likely bring back one of Peralta or Jason Heyward this offseason. Heyward was more impactful throughout the season, so LA would likely lean toward him.
This isn’t to understate the role that Peralta played for LA this season, but they can’t bring back the same team next year. The Dodgers need to upgrade things, and Peralta could probably get a bigger contract elsewhere.
He was solid for LA this year and provided some needed leadership. But the Dodgers are in a place this offseason where they can’t settle, and re-signing both Peralta and Heyward would be doing just that.
Fans thank him for everything that he did and will always be appreciative. But his time with the Dodgers was likely always supposed to be short — and assuming he doesn’t re-sign, we wish him the best of luck moving forward.
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