PHOENIX – The longest-serving Diamondbacks member, David Peralta, of Venezuela, was mentioned in trade speculation ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. But, at the end of the day – unlike his compatriot Eduardo Escobar (Brewers) and Mexico’s Joakim Soria (Blue Jays) – Peralta will remain with Arizona for the rest of 2021.
“They are already things that I do not control,” said Peralta when addressing the issue of the many transactions that took place in the Major Leagues before Friday at 4 pm ET. “I’ve always said, ‘This is my house.’
Indeed, Peralta has been a flagship player for the Diamondbacks since he made a notable comeback to baseball last decade, culminating in a successful transition from minor league pitcher to major league outfielder in 2014 in Arizona.
The Freight Train hit 400 pushes at Major level this season in the desert. And while it has been a collective forgotten season for the Diamondbacks, Peralta is content to continue in the franchise that gave him his second chance as a player nine years ago.
– “I want to be here for the rest of my career and I want to win a championship here,” said Peralta, who came to Monday leading the Majors in triples with seven, hitting 248 / .323 / .392 with 20 doubles, five home runs and 45 RBIs this season. “I want to give Arizona, the organization, the entire fan base, a championship. The opportunity has not been given, but we are fighting for that ”.
It remains to be seen if Peralta, who turns 34 on the 14th of this month, will have a chance to return to the playoffs with the Diamondbacks at some point. After 2021, the Valencian will have one more season left from the three-year, $ 22 million deal he signed with Arizona before last season. But whatever happens in his personal case and the future of the Diamondbacks’ level of competitiveness, Peralta has already made his mark on the Phoenix grounds. And now it will continue.
The leadership that Peralta has exhibited in recent years was something difficult to imagine when the former minor league pitcher was working in the LVBP with Bravos a Margarita and in independent leagues in the US to make the transition from pitcher to outfielder / hitter. In those days, the goal was just to get to the big leagues and get established. Now, only he, Nick Ahmed and Ketel Marte remain from the last edition of Arizona that qualified for the playoffs in 2017.
“It’s hard to say if I visualized it or not, but I did work for that,” Peralta said of his role as a leader in the desert. “I worked hard for that. When I was in the independent league, I always set a lot of goals for myself. A lot of discipline, a lot of perseverance and hard work. I believe that those are the fruits that are taking place right now. Nobody gave me what I have done up to now ”.
And with everything and the many problems of the 2021 Diamondbacks, who came to Monday with the worst record in the majors at 33-73, Peralta has never lowered his head.
“It is not easy,” he said. “We have had quite a few mishaps, but what can we do? We are going to continue working for the opportunity ”.
.