Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Monday night that the Pittsburgh Pirates and starting pitcher Martín Pérez have reached an agreement on a contract, subject to a physical.
Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pérez’s contract is for $8 million and a year.
Pérez played with the Texas Rangers over the previous two seasons, winning the World Series in 2023 and being named an All-Star in 2022. At the beginning of the 2024 season, the seasoned left-hander will turn 33 years old.
Pérez debuted in Major League Baseball in 2012, and in 2013, he came in sixth place in the AL Rookie of the Year vote. Through 2018, he continued to be a reliable part of the Rangers’ rotation, having started 65 games in 2016 and 2017.
In 2020, Pérez signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Boston Red Sox. In his two seasons with the Red Sox, he finished 10–13 with a 4.65 ERA, 1.449 WHIP, 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and 1.6 WAR.
Before the 2022 season, which proved to be Pérez’s breakout All-Star season, the lefty returned to Arlington. Before allowing Pérez to enter free agency, the Rangers extended a qualifying offer to him. He ultimately agreed to a one-year, $19.7 million contract with the team this past season.
Despite not having the same sub-3.00 ERA as in 2022, Pérez nevertheless assisted Texas in overcoming some significant setbacks to its top pitchers, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. He had a 22-12 record and a 3.54 ERA at the end of his second tenure with the Rangers.
