GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Jose Peraza, the newest Red, came up as shortstop, switched to second and has played a little center field.
“I’ll play all three if they want me to,” he said.
One of the challenges for the Reds will be finding a place for Peraza to play. The plan was to play him at second. That plan fell through when Brandon Phillips rejected the trade to the Washington Nationals.
Peraza prefers second or short, but the Reds have Zack Cozart at short. Billy Hamilton returns as the center fielder. With the way Hamilton struggled at the plate last year, there could be time there.
Peraza switched to second while with the Atlanta Braves because they had Andrelton Simmons at short.
“It wasn’t that easy,” Peraza said. “But I made it happen.”
Peraza has been traded twice in less that than a year. The Braves traded him to Los Angeles Dodgers at the July deadline. The Dodgers sent him to the Reds in part of the three-way deal that sent Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox.
“It didn’t catch me off guard,” he said. “The first trade was kind of tough. The second one I kind of knew it was business.”
Peraza was the No. 1 prospect in the Braves system going into 2015. He hit .293 with four home runs, 42 RBI and 33 steals at Triple-A. He only struck out 45 times in 481 at-bats.
He got a brief call-up with the Dodgers. He played in seven games and got 22 at-bats.
“I learned a lot,” he said. “I felt comfortable. I knew I could play (in the majors).”
