The Indians have designated veteran lefty Oliver Perez for assignment in order to open a roster spot for righty Nick Wittgren, who has been reinstated from the paternity list, manager Terry Francona announced to reporters this morning (Twitter link via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal).
It’s a bit of a surprising move, as Perez has pitched well for Cleveland dating back to 2018 and has yet to surrender a run in 3 2/3 innings this season. Francona, however, acknowledged that he’s had a difficult time finding opportunities to deploy Perez — perhaps a nod to the three-batter minimum rule that was implemented in 2020 and is rather limiting for lefty relievers of Perez’s nature. Perez has faced just six lefties in 2021, as opposed to a dozen right-handed batters. He’s done just fine against those right-handers, but as with most lefty relievers, Perez has a rather substantial platoon split over the course of his career.
Career platoon splits notwithstanding, Perez has reinvented himself after washing out as a starting pitcher back in 2010. The 39-year-old has a 3.42 ERA in 350 relief innings dating back to 2012, and he’s been particularly effective in Cleveland after a lackluster two-year run in Washington from 2016-17. In 94 2/3 frames with the Indians, Perez has pitched to a 2.57 ERA (3.22 SIERA) with a strong 28.5 percent strikeout rate against a similarly impressive 6.8 percent walk rate. Lefties have posted a pitiful .203/.254/.297 line through 197 plate appearances against him in that time, but Perez has also held righties to a relatively tepid .220/.306/.341 slash through 186 plate appearances.
Given that recent track record and an affordable base salary of $1.25MM, it’s quite possible that Perez will draw interest from another club — be it via a minor trade or a waiver claim. Were he to go unclaimed on waivers, he’d be eligible to reject any outright assignment in favor of free agency. In that scenario, a new club would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster, with Cleveland on the hook for the remainder of the contract.
Strange. He was solid last season and is off to a good start this season.
Somewhat surprising but the Indians bullpen is really deep and Tito couldn’t find ways to get him into games at all this season. 3.2 innings in almost a month of baseball. Sam Hentges coming up and looking promising was the end of Perez.
Makes sense. I’ll be curious to see if they’re able to find a taker for him or if he’s simply released. Either way, I expect him back in the bigs soon.
Says he’s been designated for assignment, so he’s done in Cleveland. Shame too as he’s been a great addition, especially back when he first showed up and salvaged the season that was crashing at that time.
Also, by being DFAd he’s taken off the 40 man roster and they now only have 39. Logan Allen was sent down so he could’ve been kept around had they known Allen would get shelled again. They’d need somebody to take his spot in the rotation which will probably be Quantrill, but if the bumped Hentges up Ollie could’ve kept his spot in the ‘pen.
It wasn’t that Tito couldn’t find way to get him into games. It is that Tito CHOSE not to use him. These lefty relievers were not “LOOGYs” because they could only pitch to lefty hitters, they were “LOOGYs” because managers chose to deploy them that way. Oliver Perez has been getting right handed batters out for his entire career. But managers are now conditioned to adhere only to the lefty-lefty matchups. Shame that it cost a quality veteran like Perez his job..
I mean I don’t think it’s going to cost Perez his job. He’s going to find a way into another major league pen.
The game is very analytical, even though Perez has gotten righties out, and continues to do so, he is more effective against lefties, and most lefties struggle against left handers specifically due to the lack of lefties as they grow as baseball hitters. Games just becoming more analytical.
It might not cost him his career, but it did cost him his job. He is soon to be no longer employed by the Indians. If you get fired from Wal Mart and get a job at Target the next week, you still lost your job. Getting a new one is irrelevant.
Yankees could’ve easily waited a day for their lefty reliever lol.
Only if he can be optioned. He can’t.
Funny that Cleveland got him from the Yanks when they wouldn’t promote him from AAA.
something funny here. would like to see him in Philly.
he still has enough left so would be a nice pickup
The Jamie Moyer of the 21st century probably still has some life left.
Since he pitched until 2012, wasn’t Jamie Moyer the “Jamie Moyer of the 21st century?”
He’s getting a job easily
No doubt. He’s still effective.
He makes 3x the league minimum! You think Dolan wants to pay that?!?!!
It is truly amazing how people use the “cheap owner’ narrative in every single move a team makes..
They misspelled Bauers. Perez has actual value. If he’s not a loogy as evidence of his success against right handers, the 3 batter minimum is not a valid argument.
Would be an excellent waiver pickup to replace Josh Taylor, who has been terrible.
He would be an excellent pick up for any team.
It has to make sense for the team. Perez doesn’t have options, and some teams don’t have luxury tax space or 40-man space. He’s an excellent fit for the Red Sox, who 1) get an early crack at him in the waiver claim order based on 2020 standings, 2) have sufficient salary space, 3) have no one else on their 40-man to be a second lefty reliever behind Darwinzon, and 4) have a DFA candidate in Taylor, who isn’t getting any better as the month goes on.
he’s making just over $1 million and can probably be dealt away if you find you dont need him. shouldnt be a lux issue.
He’ll be traded but does it go by last year still? When does this year’s record determine the order?
2021 standings come into effect for waivers on the 31st day of the season (May 1 in 2021), so it’s possible that they hold off on putting him through waivers until Saturday.
Thank you Marty.
Matty
Heading for the Reds
You didn’t finish your thought…RedsOX. There. Boonie makes a pretty strong case and the BoSox choose much earlier.
I would not be surprised to see farhan kick the tires on this – veteran reliever on the cheap and the giants just traded a guy out of the pen because of the instability
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I wonder if this means Hentges is sticking with the club..
I think it certainly does. He’s their only lefty and has been impressive so far. The Indians may be a flawed team but that bullpen is looking elite.
They have Kyle Nelson as another lefty but today was the first time he’s pitched this year
He would be great help for the abysmal Atlanta bullpen.
Phillies!!!!!
I would love them to pick him up definitely be great for them plus I love watching him pitch
With the number of pitchers on a team today, you can’t find a spot? Game is getting worse each season. While pitching changed lengthen the game, a loogy goes back decades. I’d take him in a minute to have for a two out situation against a Big Papi type lefty that won’t get pulled with the season on the line.
He probably wants to retire, that’s the only solid explanation. Other than that, I’m scratching my head
i’d say 10% chance it happens but…
Pirates are doing rather well with some holes in pitching mostly. Oliver as a fair quality low cost both in prospects and money to give a bit of cover for the starters and pen also some veteran support for the pitching staff.. that alone would be enough for me to inquire.
if it works it works.. if it doesn’t well no huge deal.
Granted the Pirates pen has been pretty decent so…
but if other teams are semi-serious about him then would probably drive the ‘price’ up too far for a team that maybe over performing and rebuilding, will probably regress in the next few weeks.
The first game that I ever saw in Heinz field Perez started.
In 2004.
The Pirates got him from the Padres with Jason Bay for Brian Giles.
They now only have one lefty,Sam Howard,in the bullpen.
Grab him now,let him pitch,and if advisable send him to a contender at the trading deadline.
I guess it would have been easy to do when the Pirates had the worst record in baseball.
Wouldn’t that be PNC park not Heinz?
right on, since there are a couple competitors doing worse (right now) i don’t see him passing through the AL to the pirates in waivers..
The only major drawback to doing so is that he takes innings from the younger class.
Joew-I have an iron sign in modified German saying we get too soon old and too late smart.It is applicable to me naming the stadium.
I doubt very much that the Pirates are going to keep this up but I would be happy if they are competitive.They need a couple more hitters and starters to be able to do so though.
Other than than the NL West it seems that all divisions are competitive.
I do understand about Perez taking innings away from someone but as you know in modern baseball the pitchers do not last very long and you can never have too many.
Thanks for nicely correcting my stupidity.
Kind of surprising that they didn’t just send Kyle Nelson back down to the alternate site
I was assuming hentges would be sent down to stretch back out, with so much dead outfield weight on the roster it’s sad to see a useful person go. But that’s tribe issues, lots of decent pitchers, not enough hitters. Still rather seen Bauers, Gamel and hedges gone first, I understand they play different positions, but they all suck and Perez was still useful and a great clubhouse leader for the pen
Twins should just bring him across the field and throw him in their pen. He can’t be any worse than anything else they’ve been throwing out there
It’s kind of funny that a guy who has 195 career starts, where he was expected to get a large majority of the outs, is now the victim of a three batter minimum rule.
Not really, he’s proven that isn’t a factor with him. That said, the rule is ridiculous; if a manager wants to handcuff a roster with wasting roster spots on specialists then let him. You get a roster limit to fill out to your liking, if you want to waste those spots on a pinch running specialist, late inning catcher that can’t hit, outfielder that has a cannon for an arm but nothing else, and/or the LOOGY then have at. It. To keep tinkering with the rules is just ridiculous.
Rockies could use him. They only have one lefty in the pen and he has options remaining and an ERA of almost 10.
The 3 batter minimum rule is causing many left handed relievers to retire. Of course, you can make the argument that their careers would not have been so long in the first place. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the PA addresses this in the CBA. It may be modified or tossed out. Personally, I don’t like it. I always enjoyed the managerial chess game, especially in the NL
+1 agreed. I get the idea they’re going for, but instead of 3 batter.. 15-20 pitches makes more sense to me.
If a reliever is going much more than that in 3 batters then it could be longer than just swapping relievers
of course…. that’s just my opinion man
I’m still waiting for Francona to come clean about Mickey Calloway instead of hiding behind MLB
And his comments on the PED users like Manny and Big Papi but it’s been almost 20 years now…
All you mets fans never thought he would still be here in 2021
Wish the cards would trade andrew Miller for him, hes honestly been a ton better at a fraction of the cost
Phillies, Phillies, Phillies
Hamilton cut by tribe now late inning TLR special for White Sox. Can it happen twice? Unfortunately Cleveland will probably find a taker via trade before he’s released.
This was purely a service time issue to get Kyle Nelson on the staff.
That would make sense, however, Nelson entered the year with 0.022 service. Based on when he was called up (if he sticks around for the entire year) he’d have 161 days this year, so it wouldn’t save any team control.