Padres Urged to Bring Back Silver Slugger Outfielder in Free Agent Move

Oct 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder David Peralta (24) celebrates after hitting a two run home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres are not having many issues as they are off to an 11-3 start to the season, but if 2024 showed anything to the Friars, it's that too much depth is never an issue.

As they are already dealing with their fair share of injuries, perusing the free agent market is certainly not an unwise move to bolster the high-powered offense and bring more leadership to the clubhouse.

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Bleacher Report's MLB insider Kerry Miller predicted that a reunion may be in the cards between the Friars and David Peralta.

Through 91 games in San Diego last season, Peralta put up a slash line of .267/.335/.415 and an OPS of .750. He added eight home runs and 28 RBIs.

There was a little reason for concern when it came to Peralta and left-handed pitching, as there was a noticeable divide in 2024.

He batted .200/.385/.250 against southpaws and .273/.329/.431 against right-handers. Obviously, Peralta would have to platoon but it could prove to be a a dominant pairing given his splits against righties.

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Especially with center fielder Jackson Merrill landing on the injured list, an extra bat that could do some damage stashed away in the dugout doesn't seem like it would hurt the Friars.

In terms of another veteran leader in the clubhouse, Peralta is 37 years old with 11 seasons of major league play under his belt. Not to mention, he took on a major role in San Diego during Fernando Tatis Jr.'s absence last season with his stress fracture.

Peralta was signed last summer to a minor league deal and made a pro-rated rate of just $1 million upon his promotion after just three games in Triple-A. A similar kind of deal could prove extremely valuable in this relatively low risk move.

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