The Tigers announced that right-hander Wily Peralta has cleared waivers and been granted his release. He had been designated for assignment last week.
Peralta, 33, had a very nice season for the Tigers in 2021, registering a 3.07 ERA over 93 2/3 innings. There were reasons to suspect that it wasn’t totally sustainable, however, especially given his 14.4% strikeout rate, which was well below average. A .259 batting average on balls in play probably played a factor as well. As such, despite that strong ERA, Peralta had to settle for re-signing with the Tigers on a minor league deal for 2022.
He eventually had his contract selected in mid-April, guaranteeing himself a $2.5MM base salary. Detroit dealt with numerous injuries to its pitching staff all year long, ensuring that there was always a need for Peralta’s services. Even Peralta himself was not immune, missing almost a month due to a hamstring strain. But when he was present, he was still effective, putting up a 2.58 ERA over 38 1/3 innings and an improved strikeout rate of 19%, though an elevated 14.3% walk rate.
However, with the club out of contention, they plan to use the remainder of the season to evaluate pitchers for long-term purposes, seeing how they fit into the roster for 2023 and beyond. As Eduardo Rodriguez returned from his lengthy absence, the club let Peralta go, with manager A.J. Hinch saying that “We’re giving Wily Peralta a chance to pitch somewhere else while we look at some guys who are more likely to be here.”
There’s around $588K remaining on Peralta’s $2.5MM salary, which the Tigers will now be on the hook for since he cleared waivers. If any team were to sign him now, they would only be responsible for the prorated league minimum, with that amount being subtracted from what the Tigers pay.