Dodgers News: David Peralta Admits Signing With LA Was ‘A Little Weird’

When the Dodgers signed outfielder David Peralta near the end of the offseason, there were mixed emotions all around. The 35-year-old lefty had some big moments against LA during his nine years with the Diamondbacks, so Los Angeles fans have been trained to dislike him.

For what it’s worth, the mixed emotions went both ways, as Peralta told the home of the Dodgers, @AM570LASports from spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

“It’s a little weird. I mean, it’s my first time having spring training with a different team. But it’s special. We had a nice meeting today to get to know the teammates, such a great group of guys. And I’m really glad to be a part of this organization.”

Link to interview

Peralta said manager Dave Roberts had a few of the new players say a few words, and he kicked that off.

“I was the first one. He caught me off guard. He asked me a question about the reason why I want to be here, and it’s as simple as, I want to win, I want to win a championship. I want to win a World Series, and this is the right team to do it. They do a lot of things right, and I’ve seen it for a long time from the other side, the way they go about their business. I want to be part of that. So I’m really excited to be on this part, and I’m just gonna do my best to help this team and win the World Series. …

“It was the first time in my career that I was a free agent, and I didn’t know too much about how that process goes. But like you said, there were a lot of teams we were talking to, they were winning teams, and it makes you feel special. It made me feel like I’ve been doing something good for my whole career that teams want me to be part of that.”

Peralta got a late start to his career, debuting with the DBacks two months before his 27th birthday, and then he signed an extension with Arizona earlier in his career. So he didn’t hit free agency for the first time until age 35, which put him in a position to really prioritize winning over everything, knowing he probably doesn’t have too many years left.

It might be weird to see Peralta in Dodger blue, but hearing his singular focus on winning a World Series with LA is music to our ears.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Please subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more all year long!