Former Dodgers top outfield prospect joins Texas Rangers in new role.
He’s attempting to launch a second career as a pitcher.
Former Dodgers top prospect DJ Peters has officially signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, according to Dave Coggin of PFA Baseball.
Earlier this winter, it was claimed that Peters was pursuing a second career in Major League Baseball as a pitcher. Now he has the potential to make it happen in Texas.
The Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers selected Peters, 28, in the 36th round of the 2014 and 2015 drafts, respectively. However, he chose to return to school and was eventually selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
Peters quickly surged in the Dodgers prospect rankings, reaching as high as No. 6 in 2018, according to MLB Pipeline.
He finally got his shot at the majors in 2021, but he struggled to capitalize on it.
In 18 games with the Dodgers, Peters slashed.192/.382/.285, with one home run and four RBI. He was subsequently DFA’d and claimed by the Rangers on waivers.
In 52 games in Texas, the outfielder hit.198/.218/.426 and had 12 home runs and 34 RBIs. However, he has not returned to the major leagues since, instead playing for the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate and the KBO’s Lotte Giants in 2022.
Peters will seek to return to MLB in 2024, but this time as a pitcher. He has a mid-90s fastball with a lot of vertical break and a solid slider, according to Coggin.
At only 28 years old, he has plenty of time to reinvent his MLB career.
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