Jake Peter Dodgers prospect profile

As part of the trade that brought Scott Alexander to Los Angeles and sent Trevor Oaks to Kansas City, the Dodgers also added the versatile Jake Peter from the Chicago White Sox. Peter enters the list at No. 30 on the strength of his higher ceiling as a utility bat whose power trended upward at season’s end.

Peter has a quick bat and fluid swing from the left side that generates line drives, especially to his pull side. His power in 2017 actually flashed to all fields, and though he hadn’t shown much pop prior to Triple-A, has enough bat speed to develop average pop.

He left Creighton with a solid reputation as a high contact hitter, but Peter saw more swing and miss in his game with the additional pop. He actually hit with a reverse platoon split last season, but has shown no real concern over his pro career with left handed pitching.

Peter has played most defensive positions as a pro and likely will continue to do so in Oklahoma City this year. His best defensive attribute would be his arm if healthy, but injury concerns have kept him primarily at second. The ability to play on the left side of the infield more consistently would enhance his value.

Despite looking ready to break into a big league role at the end of 2017, Peter will likely return to Triple-A in 2018. Peter may receive a notional shot at a big league opportunity in spring training, but as a non-roster invitee will really need to impress to usurp 40 man players like Locastro, Segedin, and Farmer. His readiness and versatility nonetheless made him a valuable pick up in trade for Los Angeles as a way to expand the amount of big league quality in the organization without adding to the 40 man roster.