The Seattle Mariners announced the signing of Joel Peralta to a Minor-League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Peralta spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Just over one month after taking the helm as Dodgers president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman reuinted with Adam Liberatore and Peralta in a trade that sent Jose Dominguez and Greg Harris to the Tampa Bay Rays.
With Kenley Jansen beginning the 2015 season on the disabled list as he recovered from foot surgery, Peralta converted three saves in the first 11 games of the season.
However, the veteran right-hander then battled a nerve/neck injury for the next four months, which rendered him inconsistent and ineffective.
Peralta eventually managed to get healthy and closed the season on a high note.
He appeared in eight games over the final month of the regular season, allowing just two earned runs (both on solo home runs), striking out 11 and walking none in nine innings pitched. Opponents batted .129/.129/.323 over that stretch.
Overall, Peralta appeared in 33 regular-season games, finishing with a 4.34 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.24 WHIP and 19.8 percent strikeout rate in 29 innings pitched. His success down the stretch of the season culminated in him earning a spot on the Dodgers postseason roster.
Peralta’s lone appearance in the National League Division Series against the New York Mets came in Game 1, when he retired the side in order to toss a scoreless eighth inning.
Due to the light workload in 2015, Peralta said he planned to play winter ball and return for another year in the Majors. Last November the Dodgers declined their $2.5 million option on Peralta for this season.
