Get to know a Brewers non-roster invitee: Jace Peterson

The Milwaukee Brewers have veteran infielder Jace Peterson in camp as a non-roster invitee. Does Peterson have any chance of cracking the team’s crowded infield picture?

Under normal circumstances, Jace Peterson would be battling for the last active spot on an Opening Day roster. Unfortunately for him, the Milwaukee Brewers have several options at each infield position to effectively block Peterson…and that was before they added Brock Holt.

Is there any chance that Peterson can win a spot on the Opening Day roster, or is he already ticketed for Triple-A?

How did Peterson end up as a NRI?

Peterson has been in the Majors since 2014 and he hasn’t even turned 30 yet.

Peterson broke in with the San Diego Padres for several weeks during the 2014 season. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves following the season in the deal for Justin Upton, and spent the next three years there.

Since then, Peterson has been DFA’ed, waived, and released from three different teams. He spent 2019 with the Baltimore Orioles and only managed a .599 OPS in 100 plate appearances.

For his career, Peterson owns a .228/.314/.330 slash line in over 1,600 plate appearances in the Majors.

Where does Peterson play?

Everywhere. Peterson has featured in a Major League game at every position except catcher.

Every position?

He threw an inning of relief for the Baltimore Orioles in 2018. He was tagged for four runs on six hits. Peterson did give up a homer, but he also recorded a strikeout.

Can he make the Brewers active roster?

Given how crowded the Brewers infield is, it’s not looking good for Peterson. In order to have a shot at the active roster, Peterson would need to absolutely rake at the plate for the majority of camp and the Brewers would have to suffer a series of injuries. Eric Sogard and Holt would both need to get hurt for Peterson to win a roster spot.

Peterson was brought in as an insurance policy in case the team did suffer a rash of injuries and required a veteran presence. He’s most likely ticketed for Triple-A, but could appear with the Major League team before the year’s end if the Brewers do get bit by the injury bug.

Peterson is organizational depth at this point in his career, and would need a catastrophe plus a fantastic Spring performance to get a look. He could also be auditioning for other teams in case he hits the free agent market again. There are simply too many names ahead of his on the depth chart for Peterson to influence the final roster decisions.