Jhonny Peralta has agreed to contract terms with the Detroit Tigers and will play shortstop next season, the MLB club announced Monday.
Peralta and the Tigers agreed on an $11.25 million, two-year contract with a club option for 2013, the Tigers said Monday, who also said they will move Peralta, one of the shortstop position favorites with various MLB lines, to shortstop.
The deal comes less than three weeks after re-signing third baseman Brandon Inge for a similar price.
“I feel happy. I want to be with the Tigers,” Peralta said. “Playing shortstop, for me, is my natural position. I feel really comfortable.”
He was a shortstop for most of his career before becoming Cleveland‘s regular third baseman in 2009. Detroit acquired him in July, and he played 46 of his 57 games with the Tigers at shortstop.
Detroit declined Peralta’s $7.25 million option last week, opting to pay a $250,000 buyout, but Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said then that the team was optimistic about reaching a new agreement.
The 28-year-old can provide good power for a middle infielder. He hit .249 with 15 home runs in 148 games last season for the Indians and Tigers and has surpassed 20 homers three times.
