David Peralta Maxed Out Contract Incentives with LA

The Dodgers signed, at the time, nine-year veteran outfielder David Peralta to a one-year $6.5MM deal. A bargain for an above-average defensive player with good platoon splits.

Now that the World Series finished, the incentives earned by players have come out. According to SpoTrac, it appears that Peralta made an additional $1.5MM in incentives.

Peralta earned an additional $500,000 for being active on the roster for 90, 120, and 150 games respectively. 

A Mixed Bag

This revelation comes as a bit of mixed news because Peralta announced on Instagram that he underwent surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his left arm. An injury that he sustained sometime around the All-Star Break. 

Now either the team knew about the injury and chose not to do anything about it, or Peralta did not disclose the injury to the team. 

It was apparent something was going on with Peralta because his offensive production dropped precipitously in the second half. In the second half, Peralta's OPS dropped 180 points to a paltry .578 and he did not record a home run.

On top of that, he started two of the three playoff games against the Diamondbacks. A series that saw the Dodgers only record six total runs on their way to getting swept.  May questions have been raised as to whether or not he should have started those two games.

Summary

He played injured, that much is certain. The team won 100 games, and he played a significant role in that effort.

He logged 133 games locking down left field and providing good offense for his contract.

Whether or not he played simply for the extra money is purely speculative. Either way, he greatly helped the team on the field with his play. He also helped the team off the field providing good clubhouse vibes and leadership.

He should be ready for spring training in 2024 as he hits free agency this offseason.