Joel Peralta will be part of the Rays’ bullpen for another season, as Tampa Bay exercised the right-hander’s $2.5 million option for 2015.
At age 38 he seemingly showed signs of decline, posting a 4.41 ERA this season following a four-year run in which he had a combined 3.07 ERA in 255 innings, but Peralta’s secondary numbers suggest that he pitched a whole lot better than his ERA.
He had a fantastic 74/15 K/BB ratio in 63 innings for the second-best strikeout rate and second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career. Expect him to work the late innings again for the Rays.