Diamondbacks sign David Peralta to three-year, $22 million extension, per report

The Diamondbacks have signed outfielder David Peralta to a three-year, $22 million extension with $1.25 million in incentives, as USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale was the first to report on Friday morning. Per The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, Peralta will earn $7 million in 2020 and $7.5 million each in 2021-22.

This deal is a pretty significant addition to the 32-year-old Peralta’s amazing story. The veteran outfielder began his professional career as a pitcher in the Cardinals organization, was released after undergoing two shoulder surgeries and dealing with other injuries, spent a year out of baseball entirely, and then converted to the outfield while playing the 2011-13 seasons in independent leagues, seeing action with the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, the Wichita Wingnuts, and the Amarillo Sox. He joined the Diamondbacks organization in July 2013, made his way to the majors by June 2014, and has gone on to have a successful six-year career in Arizona.

Peralta has a .290/.346/.478 slash line with 85 homers and 29 steals over 2,662 career plate appearances. He’s seen action at all three outfield spots but appears to be most comfortable in left field, where he tied for the major-league lead in 2019 with a career-high 10 defensive runs saved. While he wasn’t able to replicate a banner 2018 season in which he posted a 3.9 bWAR and an .868 OPS with 30 homers, Peralta was solid in 2019, hitting .275/.343/.461 with 12 homers and a 1.9 bWAR.

Peralta was entering his final season of arbitration eligibility, so this deal obviously enables the Diamondbacks to avoid taking him to trial. Nothing’s for sure in Major League Baseball, but considering Peralta’s hard-nosed style of play — which has caused him to end up on the disabled/injured list six times in six MLB seasons — it’s quite possible that this deal means Peralta will be in position to finish his career in Arizona.