Johnny Peralta is in the class of 2014 MLB Free Agents. The New York Mets were rumored to meeting secretly with the shortstop on Wednesday. How the information got out, who knows? Apparently, the secret was not kept quiet.
After his Biogenesis suspension, Peralta met face-to-face with general managers and among them, teams said the Mets held a meeting with the shortstop. According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, it is unusual for players to be spotted down in Orlando while GM's are meeting, but it is important, after his scandal, that teams meet with the doper in person.
What can the Mets get from Peralta at short?
Power and defense.
He might not be the most fit shortsop in baseball. Peralta will not make jaw-dropping plays, but he will get outs and be very efficient at shortstop. He committed only four errors in 438 chances in 2013. The year before, he had seven and in 2010 he only committed three at shortstop. The last time Peralta committed double-digit number of errors, he was a Cleveland Indian back in 2009.
Peralta is fresh off a 50-game suspension, but even more fresh in everybody's mind is his dynamic postseason performance with the Detroit Tigers. He destroyed the Oakland A's in the division series, hitting .417 with a home run and five RBI, carrying the Tigers through that series. Then he hit .286 against the Boston Red Sox in the A.L. Championship Series. He is a career .283 hitter in the playoffs with eight home runs and 24 RBI in 45 games.
Peralta will be 32 years old on May 28, 2013. He is a little older than what the Mets would hope for, but he will be a great presence in the bench and clubhouse. Aside from his PED's use, Peralta has never carried a negative stigma. Teammates came out in full support of Peralta after the allegations and forgave him. His production speak for themselves and the Mets would be lucky to have him in their lineup.
The Mets' current shortstop, Ruben Tejada, is not a slugger, but he can play defense. However, Peralta's bat would bring life to the Mets' batting lineup and David Wright could benefit from his presence.
