LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – When Jace Peterson was traded to the Braves six days before Christmas, he didn’t feel dismayed that the Padres had moved him or rue leaving sunny San Diego.
No, the infielder was pumped that he’d be going back to the South and playing for a team he loved as a kid.
“Closer to home, so it’s nice,” said the Louisiana native, who was part of the six-player trade that sent slugger Justin Upton to the Padres. “I was excited. I grew up loving the Braves and loving the Astros. That was really the two teams I grew up watching. So I was shocked, but thrilled at the same time.
“Once I heard the news, I was looking forward to getting here and getting started.”
Peterson, 24, who has drawn praise from coaches in the early part of spring training, was in the lineup at shortstop Wednesday and had two walks and a ground-rule double in three plate appearances in the Grapefruit League opener against the Mets. He’s a candidate for the second-base job or a utility role.
“I like his athleticism, I like that you can run him out there at shortstop and let him play that position,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We’ll play him back and forth in the middle of the diamond and see what happens.”
A two-sport athlete for three years at McNeese State in his native Lake Charles, La., Peterson was one of four prospects the Braves got in the Upton trade, along with elite left-hander Max Fried, center fielder Mallex Smith and third baseman Dustin Peterson.
Jace Peterson, who started 18 games for San Diego at second or third base last season, was the only one of the prospects from the Padres with major league experience. The muscular former defensive back and the others coming from San Diego were largely overshadowed by Fried, one of baseball’s highest-rated pitching prospects.
Fried will miss the 2015 season recovering from August 2014 Tommy John elbow surgery, and Dustin Peterson is in minor league camp. Jace Peterson and Smith, who led minor league baseball with 88 stolen bases in 120 games, are in big-league camp, and Peterson has a good chance to stick around.
His double Wednesday was hit hard and bounced over the right-center fence, the deepest part of Champion Stadium.
“He smoked that ball right into the teeth of the wind,” Gonzalez said. “You like the baseball abilities, you like the makeup, his character. Yeah, he’s a guy who’s just not a throw-in (in the trade). He’s a baseball player.”
What the Braves hadn’t anticipated was that he’d be a candidate for the opening-day second base job, but he entered the mix after Peterson reported to spring training in exceptional condition and veteran Alberto Callaspo did not.
The Braves signed Callaspo to a free-agent deal in early December and had him penciled in for second base until top prospect Jose Peraza was ready, which could be at any point this season or as late as 2016. Callaspo still might have that job if he has a good spring while playing himself into suitable shape over the next month.
The candidates also include Phil Gosselin and possibly Peraza. Gonzalez indicated that while he is intrigued by the phenom Peraza’s potential and might recommend he start the season in the majors, it could be difficult persuading the front office to put the 20-year-old on the opening-day roster with only 44 games of experience above Single A.
Peterson, 24, hit .287 with a .381 OBP and .411 slugging percentage in 389 games during four minor league seasons, with 148 stolen bases, 73 doubles and more than twice as many triples (33) as home runs (14) in 1,732 plate appearances. Last year he hit .307 with a .402 OBP, three homers and 16 steals in 86 games, including 68 in Triple-A.
He played 330 of his minor league games at shortstop and only 26 at second base and 16 at third, but all his major league playing time last season came at either second (10 starts) or third (eight starts), where the Padres needed fill-ins. He hit just .118 (6-for-53) with two steals, two walks and 18 strikeouts during his time up with the big club.
After getting his feet wet last season and getting a feel for what he needed to improve upon, Peterson could be in position to make the major league roster out of spring training, in one role or another.
“I’m going to do what I do,” he said. “I think if I do that, it should be enough. All these guys are good. Whoever wins the job, wins the job, and I’ll be ready to do whatever they need me to do.”
