The Diamondbacks have reportedly reached settlement with shortstop Geraldo Perdomo on a four-year extension that’ll cowl the 2026-29 seasons. There’s additionally a fifth-year membership possibility. Perdomo, a shopper of Republik Sports activities, is assured $45MM. The deal buys out his last two arbitration seasons and at the very least two would-be free agent years, with the choice protecting a 3rd free agent season.
Perdomo has just a little over three years of main league service. He’d already agreed to a $2.55MM wage to cowl his first season of arbitration. That’s unchanged. He’ll accumulate a $5MM signing bonus and can earn $5MM in 2026, $8MM in ’27, $11MM in ’28, and $13MM in ’29. The choice is valued at $15MM and comes with a $3MM buyout. His 2028-30 salaries may escalate if he finishes within the prime 10 in MVP balloting. Perdomo had been on monitor to hit free company upfront of his age-28 season. If the D-Backs train their possibility, he’d get to the market at age 31.
The switch-hitting Perdomo has established himself as Arizona’s shortstop behind a stable glove and powerful plate strategy. He debuted in 2021 however didn’t get an actual alternative till the next season. He offered little or no offensively as a rookie, however he has been a league common hitter over the past two years.
Perdomo had a wonderful first half in 2023. He earned an All-Star nod behind a .271/.378/.408 exhibiting. The offense cratered popping out of the All-Star Break, as he managed solely a .214/.322/.297 line within the second half. However, supervisor Torey Lovullo declared early in final 12 months’s Spring Coaching that he remained dedicated to Perdomo because the on a regular basis shortstop.
Final season acquired off to a tough begin. The center infielder suffered a meniscus tear in his proper knee inside the first two weeks of the season. He underwent surgical procedure that shelved him till early June. Perdomo performed nicely upon returning, hitting .274/.345/.380 with 20 doubles and a pair of homers throughout 361 plate appearances. He carries a .258/.349/.366 slash in almost 900 journeys to the plate over the past two seasons.
Perdomo has a throwback offensive strategy. He has drawn walks at a robust 11.3% clip whereas protecting his strikeout price to a modest 16.3% because the begin of 2023. He has 41 doubles and 6 triples with solely 9 dwelling runs over that stretch. He ranks close to the underside of the league in exhausting contact price and common exit velocity, however he hardly ever chases stuff off the plate or will get beat inside the strike zone. Solely Luis Arraez and Steven Kwan have a decrease swinging strike price amongst hitters with at the very least 500 plate appearances over the past two seasons.
The small-ball recreation even extends to bunting. Perdomo led the majors in sacrifices in each 2022 and ’23. He completed tied for sixth in that class final 12 months regardless of the harm absence. Whereas he doesn’t have nice top-line velocity, Perdomo has been an environment friendly basestealer and charges as a stable total baserunner.
Public metrics have painted a various image of the protection. Statcast has graded him as a league common shortstop in every of his three full seasons. Critiques from Defensive Runs Saved have bounced round. DRS had Perdomo a number of runs under common in each 2022 and ’23 however credited him at +10 runs final 12 months, which tied for fifth-best on the place.
Arizona likes Perdomo’s recreation sufficient to decide to him at shortstop regardless of the presence of prime infield prospect Jordan Lawlar. The 22-year-old ranks as Arizona’s greatest prospect and within the prime 15 total on Baseball America’s High 100 listing. Lawlar had a cup of espresso late within the ’23 season and would possible have gotten his first important MLB alternative final 12 months had he not gotten injured. He’s more likely to open this 12 months in Triple-A however ought to be an element sooner or later midseason. His long-term future might be at third base with Eugenio Suárez hitting free company subsequent offseason. The Diamondbacks have Perdomo and Ketel Marte signed for a number of years past this one.
The D-Backs have pushed payroll to franchise-record heights this offseason. They’re going into the season with a participant payroll north of $195MM, in line with RosterResource. That’s nicely forward of final 12 months’s $163MM Opening Day mark, which was itself an organizational excessive. They’ve almost $90MM coming off the books subsequent winter. Suárez, Jordan Montgomery, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Josh Naylor are all hitting free company. They’ll have a number of work to do, particularly on the pitching employees, however there’s sufficient future flexibility to make an prolonged dedication to Perdomo.
Mike Rodriguez first reported that the D-Backs had been signing Perdomo to an extension. ESPN’s Jeff Passan had the four-year, $45MM assure starting in 2026 with the fifth-year possibility. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was first to report that the choice may push the contract to $57MM, whereas escalators may add one other $15MM. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic had the complete wage breakdown, whereas Jon Heyman of The New York Submit reported the MVP bonuses.
Picture courtesy of Imagn.
