Drew VerHagen‘s deal with the St. Louis Cardinals was the first of what looks to be a busy weekend of free agent negotiations, but the Texas Rangers were also in the thick of things on Friday.
The Rangers signed left-handed pitcher Martin Perez to a deal, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.
“Free-agent pitcher Martin Perez in agreement with the Texas Rangers, pending physical, according to sources familiar with the situation,” he tweeted.
Free-agent pitcher Martin Perez in agreement with the Texas Rangers, pending physical, according to sources familiar with the situation.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) March 11, 2022
Perez actually started his major league career in Texas with the Rangers, where he pitched seven seasons from 2012 to 2018.
He pitched with the Minnesota Twins in 2019 and was a member of the Boston Red Sox in the last two seasons.
He doesn’t have impressive numbers over his MLB tenure, but is seen as a solid innings-eater who can be a perfectly fine fourth or fifth starter.
Perez is 63-69 for his career, with a 4.71 ERA in 10 seasons and 1,102.2 career innings.
An Innings-Eater For The Back Of The Rotation
Last year, with the Red Sox, he started off with the right foot and had a solid 4.04 ERA in 84.2 innings, but his final ERA was 4.74 over 114 frames after a lousy second half.
He represents a nice addition to the Rangers’ rotation depth.
Up until now, the team has focused mostly on offensive additions during the offseason, bringing in Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Kole Calhoun before the lockout.
As far as pitching concerns, they signed right-hander Jon Gray, also before the lockout, and now secured Perez’s services.
They need to do more, though, because after Gray, Perez, and Dane Dunning, they have a bunch of question marks in Taylor Hearn, Spencer Howard, Glen Otto, and Kolby Allard.
Even the first three are question marks themselves for 2022.
If the Rangers want to compete this year, they will need one or two quality arms.
NEXT: Rangers Mascot Summed Up How MLB Fans Felt On Thursday