Detroit Tigers could trade Jhonny Peralta for shortstop Stephen Drew – MLB News
Reports have surfaced that the Detroit Tigers are looking to trade shortstop Jhonny Peralta during the four day Winter Meetings in Nashville. According to a freep.com, the Tigers could sign shortstop Stephen Drew to have trade partner for serving Peralta.
Freep.com also claimed that the Oakland Athletics, where Drew played his last season, have their eyes on Tigers’ Peralta. If Drew signs a deal with the Tigers, the A’s are expected to move to trade for Peralta.
Already on a very high budget, it seems Drew is out of Oakland’s price. The shortstop made $7.5 million plus salary with the A’s last season. With Scott Boras his agent, the shortstop is now seeking a long term contract, which the A’s can’t afford at the
minute.
Peralta, on the other hand, is seeking a $6 million contract. The Tigers had shown interest in Drew right after the post season ended. However, in recent weeks it seemed they cooled off on former A’s shortstop, who was looking to sign a multiyear deal.
“When there’s a ground ball hit to him in the ninth inning with two outs and a one-run game, there’s not many guys that are going to make that play better or on a more consistent basis than him,” Tigers’ General Manager Dave Dombrowski said of Peralta in
a news press conference last month.
In addition to being an excellent shortstop, Drew has outstanding hitting abilities. He can play his natural game under pressure. The 29 year old had a great time on the plate last season as he hit .223 with seven home runs and 28 RBI’s in 79 games.
He missed most part of 2011 season after breaking his ankle. Between 2007 and 2010, Drew gave consistent results, averaging 15 home runs, 63 RBIs with 10 triples and 34 doubles per season. He also made several big defensive plays at the shortstop position.
Peralta also produced decent performances in 2012, hitting .239 with 13 home runs and RBI’s. However, he made a large number of errors at the shortstop, giving Tigers a reason to take him off their big league roster.
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