TODAY: The Red Sox have officially announced the signing.
DEC.12: The Red Sox have reached a one-year, $6MM agreement with free-agent left-hander Martin Perez, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The deal includes a $6.25MM club option for 2021. The buyout on that option checks in at $500K, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Perez is a client of OL Baseball Group LLC.
The agreement with Perez comes at a time when the Red Sox look to be shopping a much more prominent and far more expensive southpaw in David Price. As of now, though, the soon-to-be 29-year-old Perez is slated to join Price, Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi in a lefty-heavy Red Sox rotation.
Once a standout prospect with the Rangers, Perez is now amid a second straight offseason in which a team has turned down his club option for the following year. The Rangers cut Perez loose a winter ago on the heels of a horrid season for the hurler, while the Twins – who then inked him to a $3.5MM guarantee – did the same last month. Had the Twins retained Perez, he’d have earned $7.5MM. He’ll take home a bit less as a member of the Red Sox, but this still looks like a respectable payday in light of Perez’s showing in Minnesota.
While Perez did turn in 165 1/3 innings and 32 appearances (29 starts) as a Twin, he wound up with fairly pedestrian numbers. Despite career-high four-seam velocity (94.1 mph), the addition of a cutter to his repertoire and excellent hard-hit and exit velocity marks from Statcast, Perez finished with a 5.12 ERA and just 7.35 K/9 against 3.65 BB/9. ERA estimators such as FIP (4.66), xFIP (4.69) and SIERA (5.01) weren’t enamored of his work, though Perez did begin the year well. He owned a 4.26 ERA/3.71 FIP at the All-Star break, but the wheels came off during the second half of the season, in which Perez more closely resembled the pitcher the Rangers gave up on and notched a 6.27 ERA/5.94 FIP.
For the Chaim Bloom-led Red Sox, the agreement with Perez is the second one-year contract they’ve handed out Thursday. They previously inked infielder Jose Peraza to a $3MM guarantee. Both are modest signings in what most expect to be a low-key offseason for Boston, at least in terms of spending.
Photo courtesy of USA Sports Today Images.
Who??????
Looks like a starter. Should be able to plug a hole looking at his history. Not great but someone to throw out there.
A lefty, poor man’s Porcello. Upside isn’t the same but this was to save $3.5m (Porcello got $10m from the Mets) and pray.
$4m as Gary below wrote. My bad.
Actually probably saved even less. Rick was on record, publicly, multiple times in saying he would give a discount to stay in boston.
If you believe his sincerity, an 8m 1yr deal probably got it done, or even 6/7m with some incentives
A discount from what rate, though? We were paying him $20 million, which technically his new market rate of $10 M is a discount from 😉
Though if he would’ve stayed for less than $10 M AAV we F’ed up and should’ve kept him.
Porcello has been more durable and is right handed.
He’s a cheap lefty to take price’ role as third lefty in the rotation when they trade price..
As it stands, the sox rotation has 4 lefties. Yes, price is getting moved
Idiot
The guy in the gigantic picture that accompanies the article. His full stats and some biographical info are linked as well.
It’s good to have “a lefty-heavy Red Sox rotation” when they play half their games in a park where the LF wall is closer then many high school OF walls.
OK.
I haven’t seen studies but since they made stadium changes and put in the Monster seats, I don’t feel it’s been as important starting lefties in Fenway as it used to be. Might be related to the change in batting with so many power hitters going to opposite field, especially with right handed hitters using the right-center power alley.
Martin Perez that is who. Pretty much everyone on this site knows who he is but you
Nonetheless the guy is AVERAGE on a GOOD day. Cost savings signing.
Shut up. If you don’t know, read.
Perez. You know the pitcher the Yankees ignored to sign that stocking stuffer coal. Watch him lead the team to another championship and duck parade. Who needs Mookie?…
lol! Been a baseball fan long? Because he’s been in the league (majors) for 8 years after entering through Texas’ system where he started in 2008. Oh, he was also a top 100 on pretty much everyone’s list.
Nevertheless, your not knowing any of this doesn’t excuse the fact that this is a piss poor use of 6.5MM for the Sox. I have no idea why they’d sign anyone with a 4.8 career era and 1.47 whip, let alone for almost 7MM. Shoot, I’d be able to put up the stats he’s going to (while they still pitch him) and I’d have done it for 200k.
WE GOT HIM!!!
Not a bad deal for a pitcher just 1 game below .500 in his post season his career
Don’t think another lefty is the answer. Unless this is as precursor to a David Price trade and they’re replacing the body
He’s Rick Porcello for 4 million dollars less.
Peraza and Perez. That’s around 10 million combined. Not sure that’s the best use of resources.
for a utility guy and a fifth starter, it’s not terrible
Until you look at who the guys are. Then it gets worse
Porcello alone cost 10 million, now add what you predict Holt to get… Perez and Peraza are their replacements at a more reasonable price. Not flashy but cost efficient for sure.
Be even more cost efficient to put a couple undrafted free agents out there, doesn’t make that a good idea either
I guess the team could finish third with Porcello and Holt or hopefully finish the same without them. 2020 logic for a club that charges the most for just about everything from seats to refreshments. I realize the team is a work in progress and perhaps just a one year strategy. That said, I may be canceling my MLB subscription before auto renewal kicks in. I can always re-sign up but as is, so many Red Sox games are already on MLB network and others that probably 40% or more are available anyway. I had said seeing was believing. Well, now I’m believing…
I am not renewing my MLB subscription either
Porcello he is not, he will implode more often than not. His successes last year had more to do with the quality of lineups he faced in the AL central than anything. There is a reason the Twins let him go.
wrong
The Red Sox working hard for fourth place
Haha that’s really good……I agree, but you never know till you see the team all put together.
Lmao you must really be a hater to think Baltimore or Toronto is better
Not yet, just give bloom a little while longer. At this rate it won’t take long though!
What money is he supposed to use ATLSOX”FAN”? The money Henry isn’t providing?
With what he spent on Perez/Peraza (over 10m depending what the +incentives are on the other deal) you could’ve gotten one heck of a lot more productive SP than this hack, and preferably a RH to boot
I would’ve drafted a pitcher out of the rule 5, before cutting this guy $6m. But, that’s what separates the astute Chaim and I.
Once they dump Price and potentially trade someone like JBJ, then yes I can see fourth place in Boston’s future. Particularly if Toronto gets a decent pitcher like Keuchel or Ryu (although Toronto’s front office isn’t known for being proactive). Shame Betts won’t likely leave this year; have to wait til next
Yeah, Pinstripes you’re probably right. NYY won’t have to worry about Boston for a few years. We on the other hand can hope that Gardner gets his 80 game PED suspension, Judge gets an oblique, Stanton is ineffective and starts finger pointing, Tanaka and Severino are their usual up and down and Cole needs a TJ by July.
Flapjax55
“Gardner gets his 80 game PED suspension”
You guys and your childish conspiracy theories. More likely was Ortiz’s PED use in his age 40 year…when he had horrendously, painfully bad feet and led the league in doubles, rbis and ops.
The Red Sox are making “big moves” today
Complete joke. The guy is a below.500 pitcher his whole career and never below a 4.00 ERA ever
Oh be nice. There was that one season years ago where he actually reached league average production!
Now that’s something you can longingly hope he matches that career year again!
Except that he did so in 2013, his Sophomore season, as he posted a 3.62 ERA in which he also went 10-6 in just 20 starts. Since then, he has not had an ERA better than 4.39 (2016) in a season that he had either minimum 100 innings or 10 starts.
It’s 12:47 AM haven’t seen any “BIG MOVES” yet.
Perez >>> Porcello
Uhh…. no.
Uhm…. Statistically this Past season. Perez is actually better than Porcello.
Perez had a Better ERA, FIP, & xFIP
In Less Innings Pitched,
While having a Higher fWAR, That being Last Year…..
We’re Back Baby. This should put us over the Yankees !!!! LOL We have a B Baseball Club GM who is following John Henry’s Cheap Mode right now. Are they going to reduce ticket prices and concession prices. I think not
Would you prefer to have Dave Dombrowski back, AL34?
No but we are a number one baseball city not a second rate baseball poor city
Yes. Ownership approved the big money deals and by the way, what would Boegarts cost now? The man was aggressive but his philosophy works short term which is what he was brought in to do. I’m not saying Bloom won’t produce, I’m just tired of DD getting no love. One year ago, a few were griping about 2020 but most were basking in the glory of that championship.
DD big problem was that every deal or signing he did I could have done. Doesn’t take a lot of skill to identify top stars and either break the bank or empty the farm system to get them.
Gosox, he had no international money and took on an established team. The only contract I really had an issue with when it was signed was Sale. He kept Holt when there was talk Holt would not be brought back, he took a shot in 18 on Kinsler. What did you want him to do?
Eovaldi contract was terrible before the ink dried
Go Yanks!
Nice signing. Maybe they can finally get rid of Price?
D Price, Logan is open!
I guess he’s a warm body.
Scary thing is they asked for a club option.
The Who replies sure adds the things much like the but why comments.
This guy is notorious at building winning teams out of nothing. Hopefully it works out.
Well, he’s certainly paying heavily for a lot of nothing, that’s for sure.
I’m assuming he is going very cheap this year, in hopes of keeping Mookie. That would be my only way of thinking this get under the cap year is worth it
Rosie Perez?
I am a rays fan. Your GM comes from the rays and these are the type of moves that go unnoticed but can pay big in season. This guy was part of the team that built the rays into a 96 win team. I don’t get why all you Yankees and Red Sox fans give a crap what the name in the jersey says! If your winning shouldn’t that be what matters?
@musha203
Not sure why you feel Yanks and Sox fans don’t care about winning above all else.
Totally agree with you on this. Peraza, Perez are not “flashy” names but they are quality players who can fill multiple positions ( Peraza) and in the rotation (Perez)
In what world would the production of these guys, who are below league average, be considered “quality”.
This signing is particularly concerning as, unless someone works magic in the coaching realm, there is a good 7 or 8 year history of allowing baserunners at a 1.5-1.8 whip rate.
In fenway that has an outsize effect because both the monster in left and low wall in right allow baserunners to advance at a higher clip than other ballparks either by changing outs to hits or allowing extra ground rule doubles.
You’re all over this post with negativity man. We get it, they didn’t get Gerrit Cole or any big name. This is team building while trying to cut cost under the luxury tax so that they can have sustained success. There should be a Price deal coming soon I’m guessing, so at least wait for the big picture to show.
There’s a difference between a big name like cole (who is a bad idea) and going after guys who can’t even demonstrate an ability to perform at league average over years of playing histories.
Plenty of guys out there available at a similar salary who perform, in demonstrated histories, at a much higher level.
This is being cheap for the sake of being cheap, not trying to capitalize on what talent is still there to put the best product on the field in 2020 with the money you have to work with.
For the two signings announced today you could’ve had a MUCH better SP that brings a better chance of winning games in 2020 than what we got.
Name one single SP who would be available for $9M who offer a better chance to win?
Both these guys have upside, Bloom feels they are positioned to tap into that upside.
I’m not happy about having to get under the luxury tax given our current core either, but these are the types of moves Bloom has to make. Buy upside.
If Bloom can move Price and/or JBJ we’ll be able to afford another competent starter. For now, we have to make moves like this.
Not to be a wise guy, but Matthew Boyd via trade
@average Joe – rich hill and brock holt would cost the same as the 2 guys bloom inked.
If you wanted to grab a pair of pitchers at similar outlay, I bet you could clear Alex wood and rich hill for 10m combined, then add a little extra in incentives.
If you wanna drop all the cash in one spot, Porcello publicly stated he’d give boston a discount and his numbers (and upside) are higher than what was signed.
I know you only asked for one, but there’s 3, not to mention trade candidates or guys who already signed elsewhere before today.
Hill is already out for half the season. If you sign Hill; you’re still signing Perez. Or you’re starting Brian Johnson and Velasquez again….
The Red Sox have very few good prospects. They certainly don’t need to be dealing them for Matt Boyd at this point.
Hill & Holt will not Cost the Same.
Those 2 Will make over 10 Million
Next season
Take a breath, relax, and thank your lucky stars that Dombrowski’s no longer in charge.
Future production is what you should be paying for. These are value plays.
Upvoting you
Future production is fine and well, IF there’s something to show and you do it on the margins are your NEEDS to put the best competitive club on the field NOW are covered.
Be realistic. The Red Sox are becoming the SF giants. Big contracts, aging players, no youth wave waiting behind.
Rather than trying to WIN NOW, they’re nibbling at the edges hoping to find something in a couple years. Meanwhile, quality pieces who, for the same money actually would contribute and move the team toward the postseason all come off the board and are signing elsewhere.
The SF Giants?! Get real. Devers, Benny, Bogey, Mookie, Chavis, Vasquez are the youth wave… Now it’s time to build the next one and that starts this offseason with Chaim- A gm who actually knows how to build not just for a couple good season but for the long term. We spent 10 mil on a utility guy and a back end starter that we’re hoping can recapture the talent that had them as top prospects a lil while ago. We still have moving pieces like Price and JBJ. What are you expecting them to do with 10 million that’ll be so much more contributive?
He was actually really good early in the season last year. I think after teams got the scouting report on him and figured him out things really went south.
When he pitched for the Twins last year, he was hot or cold. He allows a lot of base runners as the Twins had 2 triple plays when he pitched.
He is Porcello’s replacement on the cheap.
Will probably put up equally terrible numbers, too.
I’d say worse, much worse.
Porcello had good years followed by near league average ones. Also in the pattern were porcello’s good years featured a WHIP of 1.0xx to 1.1xx, and cellos average years were 1.3xx.
This guy regularly allows 1.6xx and 1.7xx WHIP. Imagine what that means you’ll see?
I say again, in fenway, with the monster and the short right wall creating doubles, it’s probably worse.
Perez generates ~ 50% ground balls. Ground balls can’t hit the monster. Bloom isn’t a dumb man; give him a chance here. There’s no guarantee Perez works. But I can tell you a fly ball pitcher transitioning to Boston would not be ideal.
Which may be why he went for a Defensive upgrade at 2B in Peraza and a GB pitcher in Perez. The pairing makes some sense. They’re “ bargain bin” moves. Which probably sucks after years of watching Dombrowski throw his money around recklessly; but they might not be as bad as you think.
Bro, Porcello was Literally the Worst Starter In 2019. With 2000+ Innings on his Elbow
Porcello wasn’t a ton more expensive
Yeah he was solid in the first half. Was a nice pick up for my fantasy squad. I wonder if he wore out in the second half. If so, maybe his workload could be managed or he could spend stretches in the pen and perform better over a full season.
Well they are definitely saying byebye to some guys
Another lefty starter to match up with that righty heavy Yankee lineup.
I look forward to when the Red Sox visit the Bronx. The Bombers will light him up
There’s a pattern here, all these pickups are guys who have failed as major leaguers but were formerly well regarded prospects.
Seems like anyone who had that history bloom is willing to overpay in the hopes other teams missed something in the years and years since they were called up.
Statistically you may eventually find one, but, does anyone really want to watch years of aaaa baseball in boston until you accumulate enough of them?
Good news is parking at fenway should be easier. Bad news is, will it be worth your time to bother going to fenway?
You knew Boston wasn’t going to be spending big dollars this year. Or at least I hope. Dave Dombrowski already gave the big dollars away. Bloom has to operate on a Rays-esque budget to plug the holes this year. The Tampa FO had a lot of success finding and getting more out of these type of guys so I wouldn’t right him off just yet. Boston fans should’ve expected this the day DD was canned though.
There’s parking at Fenway? Huh?
Inside some of those big buildings near the stadium are actually (over)priced parking garages, plus the smattering of surface lits/garages underneath buildings. Likely you walk from the PRU or somewhere near it, but, yea, you can drive in
Martin Perez is downright excellent at times. It is his consistency that is the issue. In the first half of the season, he was a good pitcher, even dominant at times. But in the second half, he was mostly terrible. If the Red Sox capture the first half Perez, they just got lightning in a bottle.
So basically he only sucks half the time? Genius!
There’s the reason none of the team options have ever been picked up and he just gets let go afterwards.
Ok pointing out the obvious. The Eck-Price saga is over. Price is being dealt.
They could have allocated their resources better in Ryosuke Kikuchi and Kwang Hyun Kim and likely have some money left over.
about to see a new record this year… Perez is terrible against lefties… so many HR in that park
Perez’s hard hit rate and XWOBA combined with a pretty strong 48% GB rate signal that better days are ahead. I imagine this deal is going to be very unpopular for Sox fans but after looking at how much cash a backend arm like Roark got—it’s hard for me not to like this deal. I’m willing to bet he’s a low 4 era guy who eats up 175+ innings.
they have been signaling that his whole career…
They have not. Perez’s XWOBA was roughly 60 points lower than his previous 3 seasons. His hard hit % was down significantly as well. These are good things. He’s been a pretty decent innings eater in the past despite the hard contact measure. With that improved; it’s not unimaginable to think he could see better results.
Keep thinking that. His career says otherwise.
Thanks buddy
Honestly, I’m kinda sad that he didn’t resign with the Twins; always believed in him.
Let Bloom work. We’re seeing what he can do with the given options with his back to the wall, financially speaking. This is — what– the 2nd or 3rd month of his tenure? He will be here for years (although, oddly, I still haven’t seen any mention of how many years to his contract). In any event, I am more than happy to see how this plays out without needing to pick at any single move (unless it’s a big stupid move like Sale’s extension).
He started off dominant last season but he was god awful after the first couple months. Surprised he got $6 million. The Twins declined an option on him for not much more and it’s not a good sign if you’re picking up rejects from a team that needs starting pitching, like the Twins.
how does this guy keep getting Major League deals?
Because some teams are desperate for starting pitching.
Guess to save face in Boston, the new guy has to come home with something….. Really?
Why all this negatively on a couple low cost players.
I remember when the Sox loaded up a few years ago with high price free against and finished 3rd.
The game is played between the lines ,ya got to wait and see than rather spew verbal b s on here. .
Opp. Agents
RedSox67,
Agreed too many haters on here. Lot of not to bright ones thinking we will finish below the jays and o’s lol
It seems par for the course this year that no matter what teams do their fans cannot constructively criticize. The current methodology in baseball has been in place for long enough for fans to realize what teams are doing and why they are doing it. I agree that the Sox shouldn’t have handed out emotionally-driven contracts. But knowing that, fans have to understand what they’re doing with shedding payroll.
Yankees went through it and look at their core players now. All things considered, what prevents the Sox from trading Mookie to stock up, then when he hits FA re-signing him? I’m not suggesting that is their plan, but it is possible.
And for the guy that takes the Yankees tag line of “any season without a WS is a failed season” is just insane. I understand that sentiment if you’re in your peak team performance years, but every year? Man, that’s a lot of disappointment.
I can’t believe some people think that the Red Sox are going to try and compete in 2020!
They need an innings eater and that is what Perez is. $6 million is a lot cheaper than Price and $32 million. They already know that they will finish sub .500 for next year so wake up diehards. 4th or 5th place finish and rebuild the farm system is the Red Sox plan.
Wake up folks. This is a 3 year rebuild so get used to finishing last and get used to guys like Perez and Peraza. They are the immediate future.
paperwerks,
They sure can compete. As a fan of Boston we always believe they can compete. Anything less then a WS title from them is a failed season.
They’re re-tooling getting a starter and utility player for less. Shedding payroll for them they almost need another Crawford/Gonzalez deal to make that happen.
4 or 5th… .you gotta be joking me…. did you forgot Toronto doesnt have much starting pitching and Baltimore well they suck!!! Yankees are gonna be tough to beat. Tampa is pretty solid as is Boston thats your top three….. unless some how Tampa and Boston flip flop… highly doubt Jays will be ahead of the sox.
The Red Sox will be fine no need to hit the panic button. Lots of good solid core players left from that WS a couple seasons ago.
Not quite sure where signing Perez ranks with signing Cole……
Not bad, really; there are worse ways to spend 9M. Sox fans have to condition themselves that unless Sale/Eovoldi come back strong (I assume Price is gone in some kind of deal), it’s not going to be a very good year. Conversely, if the they do, they still have a legitimate shot.
Billy Beane once said that seasons are organic, not static; for the Sox this year, nothing could be more accurate.
bob,
What world do you live in where you would compare a pitcher of that dominace to a pitcher like perez. Like be realistic bud.
It will be a fine year in Boston. Lots of good players on the team still. Boston will still be a strong team that can score lots. They always have a shot dont be a hater.
Jays fan bud?
This looks like a smart signing but the Red Sox are very lefty heavy on the starting rotation.
hozle007,
Yes….. so?????????
Look out Yankees
I’m a long term Red Sox fan since 1963.
In 2020 the NYY should take 1st easily or they’ll be hell to pay in the Bronx.
BAL should take 5th easily. So what else is new.
The tough part is figuring out 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the AL East.
Between Tampa, Toronto and Boston.
Tampa played really well in 2019. I expect the same in 2020.
Toronto has a great deal of exciting new young talent. I expect a solid year in 2020.
Boston is a discontent well fed team looking like it’s going through the motions.
If they play like they can “on paper” they should do well.
But in 2019 they apparently used toilet paper to play on.
Your guess is as good as mine if the 2018 or 2019 team shows up in 2020.
If it doesn’t then expect a well deserved house cleaning at the trade deadline.
If they get off to a slow start expect Cora to be gone by June 1st.
I suspect Boston will have the “usual” sore arms on the pitching staff.
Making all that money can tire a guy’s arm out for sure.
Precursor to a Price trade?
Post- cursor to a Porcello defection.
We’re back Baby!!!!
Two unbelievable signings By Bloom!!!!
Welcome to the B Game Red Sox, Small Market Tampa Bay Red Sox!!!
This is what the future is going to be !!!!
Two Bottom Basement Low Impact “Garbage Signings”
Good low risk signing. Need someone to eat up some innings at the back end of the rotation. Showed well at times last season. Club option is a nice touch depending on his performance obviously.
Sox are killin it this off season!!!
I can’t understand what this guy is doing. I know he just got started but he’s said to be a wiz but these signings are total head scratcher. If you want to slash payroll fine I can stomach it for this year even though they make so much money off the fans that we should never have to. But since they do intend to why the hell are they over paying for these garbage heap players that can easily be replaced by any shmo minor leaguer. So this will be two straight years of no playoffs In a time where baseball is struggling to maintain there fan base interest I don’t think it’s smart. But again if that’s the intent then do it already. No half stepping. The worst thing to do is nothing. Last years deadline was a total waist. Do something Chaim!!! Let’s go already. Poop or get off the pot!! If he was good he’d be able to dump enough payroll that he could add someone significant but he hasn’t and everybody is getting signed. My belief is ownership doesn’t care as long every five years or so they are relevant which pisses me off. This core could have produced a dynasty but they’ve been in last place more than they have playoff appearances
Anyone that thinks this is a good signing needs to do some research in the guy. This was at least a $4mil over pay. He’s not good.