Baltimore Orioles: Two New Intriguing Middle Infield Options

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CINCINNATI, OHIO – MARCH 28: Jose Peraza #9 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after hitting a three run home run in the seventh inning of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /

Jose Peraza will be an attractive option for many clubs, including the Baltimore Orioles.

In 2018, Jose Peraza played in 157 games for the Cincinnati Reds, slashing .288/.326/.416 with a career-high 14 home runs, 58 RBI, 31 doubles, and was worth 2.6 Wins Above Replacement, per Fangraphs. It was a breakout season for a 24-year-old who increased his wRC+ from 61 to 96 and went from a -0.3 fWAR player to a valuable contributor.

Unfortunately, the bat went silent in 2019 and the Reds saw a number of breakout performers step up and take Peraza’s place in the lineup during his struggles. Cincinnati tried to move Peraza around both the infield and outfield, but the bat refused to wake up.

Appearing in 141 games, Peraza hit .239 with a .285 OBP, six home runs, and a well-below league average wRC+ of 62. He was worth -0.6 fWAR and stole just seven bases after swiping 67 over the last three seasons (21, 23, 23).

Peraza has plenty of similarities to Hanser Alberto, including ranking in the bottom 5% of the league in average exit velocity, one of the lowest barrel contact rates in the league (0.3%), a low walk rate (4.2%), and a low strikeout rate (14.6%). He also hit .287 against LHP and .220 against RHP.

Again, no one the Orioles sign is going to a game-changer, but Peraza is still young (25 years old), can play at second base, shortstop, and a little outfield, ranks in the 75th percentile in sprint speed, and his advanced defensive metrics were some of the highest of his career last year. There are plenty of worse utility options out there.

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