Red Sox infielder Jose Peraza
The Red Sox believed they had a bargain on their hands when they scooped up Jose Peraza for a modest salary of $3 million but he ended up being vastly overpaid for the limited production he provided.
It was only a couple of years ago that Peraza broke out with the Cincinnati Reds, hitting .288 with a .742 OPS and 29 stolen bases. A down year in 2019 allowed the Red Sox to get him for cheap but instead of the bounce-back year they expected, Peraza continued trending in the wrong direction.
Peraza produced the worst full season of his career, hitting .225/.275/.342 in 120 plate appearances. His bat had very little pop with only one home run and 10 extra-base hits. Speed was once his calling card but he stole only one base on two attempts. In fairness, he was rarely on base to allow himself more opportunities to swipe a bag.
He’s capable of covering multiple infield positions and he can even play the outfield in a pinch but Pereza was below-average defensively regardless of where the Red Sox put him. Versatility isn’t a value if you can play every position poorly.
It was a solid gamble to bet on a 26-year-old with past production to bounce back but Peraza didn’t pan out. He’s under club control as an arbitration-eligible player for two more seasons but Peraza is a potential non-tender candidate this offseason.