David Peralta traded to Rays for minor leaguer

The Rays acquired outfielder David Peralta from the D-backs for catching prospect Christian Cerda, bringing aboard a veteran hitter to bolster their lineup.

“He has a history of offensive performance that we really like, and we think he’s somebody that can kind of stabilize our lineup,” Rays GM Peter Bendix said. “Good, well-rounded baseball player.”

The trade brought a whirlwind of emotions for the 34-year-old Peralta, who is expected to join Tampa Bay for Sunday’s series finale against Cleveland. He has spent his entire nine-year Major League career with Arizona, playing 961 games for the D-backs from his debut on June 1, 2014, until his last game on Friday. But that tenure included only one trip to the postseason in 2017, which ended in a three-game NLDS sweep.