Peralta on trade talks: 'Out of my hands'

Left fielder David Peralta addressed some recent rumors suggesting that the D-backs have made him available on the trade market, declaring his desire to remain in the desert for the rest of his career.

“Like I always say, I love this organization and I want to be [here] the rest of my career,” Peralta said. “But I can’t control what’s going on out there. I just have to come every day and find a way to help my teammates and be better. That’s the only thing I can say.

“I love with all my heart this organization because they gave me the opportunity. They believe in me, and that’s why I’m here, because of them. And I can't thank them enough. So, whatever happens is out of my hands.”

The outfielder’s appeal as a player isn’t hard to identify. At the plate, Peralta is a career .287/.342/.470 hitter with solid power, averaging 19 home runs per 162 games. He’s been solid defensively as well, with six career defensive runs saved as an outfielder. Peralta has earned hardware for his performance on both sides of the ball, having won a Silver Slugger Award in 2018 and Gold Glove Award in 2019.

As steady as Peralta has typically been throughout his career, his production has dipped this season. Coming into Arizona's Interleague series against the A’s on Tuesday, Peralta is slashing .245/.302/.409, all of which would be career-lows for the 33-year-old.

Peralta’s defensive numbers have been down as well, as he's currently posted -2 defensive runs saved in left field (for comparison, he was worth seven defensive runs saved in 2019). Peralta’s underlying numbers have been discouraging as well, as his average exit velocity, xBA and xSLG are all registering at a lower clip this season than the previous.

Peralta has particularly struggled in June, reaching base just twice in 15 plate appearances. The quality of contact has been just as discouraging; Peralta’s average exit velocity in June has been 78 mph and he has yet to strike a ball 90 mph or higher.

“For me, personally, I need to get better,” Peralta said. “I need to just find myself and do my job. I’m not doing my job right now. But I know it’s not going to stay like that for the whole season, I can guarantee you that. ... Every player goes through a slump and that’s what I’m going through right now, but I know what I can do. I know what type of player I am, and what I’m showing right now is not who I am.”

“He’s working as hard as anybody we have to get out of that little rut he’s in,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “That’s the most important thing, to me, what is he doing day by day? The work that he’s putting in, the coaching that he's accepting. He’s doing his absolute best and the results haven’t been there, and that’s why this game can be so frustrating from time to time."