The Mariners announced on X that they have claimed left handed pitcher Sammy Peralta from the White Sox and send him to AAA Tacoma. The Lefty will be depth behind Saucedo and Speier.
Peralta was designated for assignment by the White Sox when they needed a 40 man roster spot. With the Mariners having two openings, it was a free pick up for the Mariners, who won’t lose a player from the 40 man roster.
Peralta made his major league debut last season for the White Sox, pitching in 16 games. Over those 16 games the 25-year-old lefty pitched to a 4.05 ERA over 20 innings of work. Walks were his main issue as he allowed 11 walks over those 20 innings.
Peralta was a 19th round pick by the White Sox in 2019 and has been in the White Sox organization until the Mariners claimed him. He has control until becoming a free agent in 2030.
Over 4 minor league seasons, Peralta pitched to a 3.96 ERA in 223 innings of work. He owns a 10.9 Strikeout percentage and 2.7 Walk percentage in the minor leagues. However, last year in AAA he struggled to a 5.09 ERA in 29 games. Main issue was his strikeout rate went down and his HR rate went up, something he limited over his minor and major league career.
Peralta features a 4 Seam Fastball, Change-up, Sweeper and an occasional Slider. He uses his Change-up most of the time at 36.9% with the 4 Seamer a close second at 35.9% in the majors. The Sweeper is the main breaking ball in his arsenal.
However, the Sweeper was his best pitch according to the numbers. It was the only pitch that got positive run value and he had a tremendous expected slash line against that pitch (.146/.190/.167). The 4 Seamer and Change-up both got expected OPS close to .800.
In his brief MLB stint, he did show an ability to limit Barrels and Hard Hit contact, keeping his expected ERA at a respectable 4.04.
The soft tossing lefty will provide left handed bullpen depth for the Mariners at a low cost. After Saucedo and Speier, the only lefties on the staff, Peralta is the only lefty on the 40 man roster. Solid depth move.
