The St. Louis Cardinals have signed Ruben Tejada to replace injured shortstop Jhonny Peralta after Peralta underwent surgery for a thumb injury. Tejada was released by the New York Mets and signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals in spring training, the team announced on Saturday.
Peralta went down with a thumb injury earlier in March, and after having surgery, the shortstop was given a recovery time of three months. The Cardinals explored some trade options and internal options to replace Peralta, but now, Tejada will get the chance. The contract is worth $1.5 million for the 2016 season.
"We do feel like there is an opportunity to add depth, because Tejada was recently released, and for us it made sense to pursue this," Cardinals manager John Mozeliak said. "I just think it makes our club stronger overall, and ultimately it then gives (manager) Mike (Matheny) the flexibility to utilize the different infield positions until Peralta gets back."
Tejada had three home runs and 28 RBIs last season while posting a .261 batting average for the Mets. The shortstop was injured last year when a slide from Chase Utley in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers left him with a broken right leg.
Tejada reportedly had a minor league offer from the New York Yankees, but he opted to turn down that deal in the hopes of getting a major league contract. Tejada now joins the Cardinals, moving from one National League contender
While the Mets likely did not want to help strengthen a fellow NL opponent, the team felt that it had to cut some salary heading into the season. Tejada was set to make $3 million if he was with the Mets this season. The team did not need Tejada after making moves in the offseason with Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera. The Mets also feel comfortable with Wilmer Flores taking over Tejada's role.
It's unlikely that Tejada will be able to replace Peralta's production, as Peralta has been one of the better offensive shortstops in baseball over the past few years. Last season, Peralta hit .275 with 17 home runs and 71 RBIs in 155 games. Tejada is not known for his offense, but he doesn't need to be an exact replication of Peralta for the Cardinals to be successful.
As long as Tejada put up marginal numbers and isn't terrible until Peralta returns, the Cardinals will likely be pleased. Losing Peralta just before the season is a tough loss, but the Cardinals have shown in the past that they can overcome injuries. If the Cardinals can keep things close and stay in the race until the All-Star break, Peralta's return will end up being a major boost for the lineup.
