Soon-to-be free agent shortstop Jhonny Peralta would like to come back to the Tigers and may be willing to play left field to do so, reports the Detroit Free Press.
Jhonny Peralta wants to remain with Tigers, willing to play LF
Peralta played left field at the end of the season after spending his entire career in the infield.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Peralta has spent the previous four seasons with the Tigers, but the team no longer has an opening at shortstop. A mid-season trade brought defensive whiz Jose Iglesias in from the Red Sox and he is poised to be the team's starter longterm.
When asked about the possibility of taking a new position to stay in Detroit, Peralta told reporters: “There’s a chance for sure, yeah, because I like the organization here. Do I want to be here? Yeah, I want to be here.”
During the 2013 season, Peralta hit .303 with an .815 OPS while playing in just 107 games. Peralta missed 50 games after being suspended for his role in the Biogenesis scandal. When he returned in late September, Iglesias had usurped the starting job at shortstop.
Because there was no room for Peralta in the infield, the Tigers played him in left field for the final three games of the regular season. He also started in left field for much of the postseason. There may not be room for Peralta in the outfield moving forward, however, with top prospect Nick Castellanos nearly ready to be in the majors full time.
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