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Detroit Tigers sign outfielder DJ Peters to minor-league contract following stint in Korea

Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

Former Los Angeles Dodgers prospect DJ Peters, a right-handed hitting outfielder, is staying in the United States after playing the majority of last season in the Korean Baseball Organization.

The 27-year-old recently signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers. He did not receive a non-roster invitation to MLB spring training, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, and has been assigned to Triple-A Toledo.

In 2021, Peters played 70 MLB games.

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Texas Rangers designated hitter DJ Peters runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. Adolis Garcia and Nathaniel Lowe also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Texas Rangers designated hitter DJ Peters runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. Adolis Garcia and Nathaniel Lowe also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

For the KBO's Lotte Giants, Peters hit .228 with 13 home runs, 26 walks and 77 strikeouts in 85 games last season. He finished the campaign for Triple-A Rochester with the Washington Nationals, hitting .174 with three walks and 21 strikeouts in 13 games.

The Dodgers selected Peters in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.

He was ranked as a top-25 prospect in the Dodgers' farm system from 2017-20, according to MLB Pipeline, and reached his peak as the organization's sixth-best prospect in 2018. That year, he posted a .236 batting average with 29 homers, 45 walks and 192 strikeouts across 132 games for Double-A Tulsa.

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Peters made his MLB debut in 2021.

He played 18 games for the Dodgers and 52 games for the Texas Rangers. He hit .197 with 13 homers, 12 walks (5% walk rate) and 82 strikeouts (34.2% strikeout rate) between both teams.

For the Rangers, Peters launched 12 homers in 52 games but had four walks compared to 68 strikeouts.

Peters, an above-average defender, can play all three outfield positions.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers sign outfielder DJ Peters to minor-league contract