When we acquired Jhonny Peralta last Thanksgiving, I was happy and surprised. I had expected the Cards and John Mozeliak to leverage a few prospects for J.J. Hardy, Elvis Andrus or possibly Troy Tulowitzki. When Mo pulled the rug and gave a four year, 53 million dollar deal to Peralta, I instantly thought that was a win due to a few factors.
First, there were no prospects lost and Mo’s toy store was looted. Second, Peralta hit very well after his 50 game suspension after coming forward for PED usage last year. Third, I knew there was an immediate upgrade to a painfully low offensive position. With no offense to the Pete Kozma bus riders, 2014 needed a different guy at short.
Peralta has turned out to be vital in a number of different ways.
Let’s run down the list.
*Peralta ranks second in defensive runs saved in the National League for shortstops. Some people questioned his defense when he came over. That has been silenced by a steady hand at short. Peralta has good range and doesn’t feel the need to throw a 99 mph missile over to first base. He fires it with ease and has been productive all season. Losing Kozma’s sure glove was a worrisome thought early on but no longer a reality 3/4 of the way into the season. Peralta has been silky smooth at shortstop, making only 10 errors in 491 chances.
*Peralta’s bat has been better than expected. With 17 home runs and 58 RBI, Peralta has been the power guy on this team that delivers big hits. He can pop one out of the stadium or crank it into the gap. His offensive numbers are on pace for a better finish than his strongest years in 2005 and 2011. Peralta’s overall of 5.0 is also a career high and only rank behind the injured Tulowitzki in overall shortstop WAR. Peralta is doing everything and more that his bat promised.
*He is a calm, cool and collected customer out there. I don’t need every player to be fired up out there like A.J. Pierzynski and play the game with a blowtorch attached to their shoulder. Peralta doesn’t get excited and seems to be watching a very boring foreign documentary at times playing shortstop and that’s fine as long as the job gets done. He is like Carlos Beltran in a lot of ways. Very little expression in the field but productive as the rest. If you want fire, buy Steve Kline’s greatest hits DVD. Peralta is all business and I’ll take it.
*Peralta has quieted the doubters and won over his clubhouse. He came into a clubhouse that was strictly anti-PED(led by Matt Holliday) but he has proven that mistakes are followed by a redemption if the individual chooses to take hold of it. Peralta was given a second chance, and was accepted by Detroit last fall and the same has happened here in St. Louis. Peralta never actually tested positive for a drug but came forth before the hammer could fall any harder on his head. It took a man to do that and a bigger one to come back from it. Perhaps Jon Heyman wants to reconsider calling Peralta a bust like he did at midseason(numbers looked good then).
*Peralta is heating up in August, hitting .338 this month and driving in 14 runs. He has collected 6 of his 32 doubles this month and hit three home runs. His on base percentage has climbed considerably as well, to .339 due to his .390 August OBP. Peralta has swung the bat in August as good as any month. He is a strong finisher and a team constantly looking for offensive support in the power division, it’s good to see Jhonny coming to the center of the stage.
The Cards have won 7 of 8 and are starting to score runs on a consistent basis, even against the likes of Johnny Cueto. Peralta is a big reason for that. I won’t stand here and declare myself the moral police because it’s a complex game to play with too many loose moral battles to sort through. Peralta made a mistake, and lived to see the light of day, That’s a good story and should continue to be a productive one. Peralta is 32 years old and signed a modest four year deal, which was good for him and also didn’t make Mo walk out on a plank.
In a season that has seen the offense plunge into the depths of coldness far too often, Peralta’s bat has created many fires and kept the bats warm. His offensive productive has been impressive and his defense is surprising. A deal that many panned(Joe Strauss included) has turned into a vital one for the Cards.
Thanks for reading and catch more of my instant reactions on Twitter, @buffa82.
Have a good weekend folks.
