The White Sox announced that left-hander Martín Pérez has declined his end of a $10MM mutual option for 2026. He will take a $1.5MM buyout and return to free agency. The Sox also announced that they triggered their club option on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., a decision that was previously reported.
Pérez, 35 in April, is coming off a mostly lost season. He signed with the Sox in January, a $5MM guarantee in the form of a $3.5MM salary for 2025 plus the aforementioned buyout on the mutual option. He made just four starts before elbow inflammation put him on the injured list. He was diagnosed with a flexor strain and didn’t return to the club until August. He finished the year with a 3.54 earned run average in 56 innings.
Given that he’s now one year older and is coming off a less impressive walk year, he should have less earning power compared to last offseason. That makes it somewhat surprising that he is turning down his end of the option. Perhaps he figured the club was going to turn him down anyway, so he proactively walked away and therefore avoided the awkward situation in which he would trigger his end but then be rejected by the team.
He will now return to free agency and look for his next opportunity. His 19.3% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate in 2025 weren’t especially impressive but he’s never been a huge strikeout guy. He at least finished the season healthy and could get another deal to serve as a veteran back-end guy in 2026.
The White Sox currently project to have a fairly inexperienced rotation. Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Grant Taylor, Yoendrys Gómez and Jonathan Cannon are some of the best options currently on the roster but no one in that group has more than 256 big league innings. Perhaps the Sox and Pérez could reunite but both parties will now be able to explore alternatives.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Perez said he’s open to returning to the Sox. We’ll see at the end of the day.
“It’s not you, it’s me”
He gets to play the ‘i wanted more long term security’ card if nothing else, when asked why not stick around the 1 year.
Now we all know the odds of the sox picking up their end were low, but that’s not the same as actually having proof that even the white Sox cut bait on you on your resume.
Past up an easy 10 million. Don’t see him getting more then that and a rotation spot from a competitive team
Not so easy when the white Sox also have to agree..
They were never going to trigger it. “Big spending Jerry”? Not a chance. This way he as Darragh indicated saves face entering free agency. Unless he bought a home in Chicago, which I doubt the Sox are the last resort as they are improving but not ready to compete, even in the AL Central.
For a guy entering his age-35 season after missing nearly all of his age-34 season, he is hoping a contender comes calling. Maybe he is prioritizing a potential chance to win, even at the expense of leaving a few extra million on the table. The guy has earned nearly $50 million already, and this may be his last season.
Greed!
What makes Perez think he’s worth more than $10 million dollars?
There’s a $1.5M buyout so he only has to top $8.5M in free agency. Last off-season free agent fifth starters got $15M.
The opposite of greed actually. Greed would be trying to opt in to get paid by what has to be one of the most depressing organizations to work for in MLB. Now he will more thank likely take a pay cut to play for someone who can at least compete.
A’s, Pirates??
When a player wants what he’s worth it’s “greed”. When an owner doesn’t want to pay a player and chooses instead to hoard wealth it’s “savvy.”
The last line is the only logical explanation. He’s just getting a jump on the inevitable.
He’s talked about wanting to return to the Sox organization in a quasi coaching capacity. Worked well for Sergio Santos, who successfully managed 2 levels in the Sox system, winning a AA championship in his debut and is now a bench coach/future manager candidate.
But they also didn’t renew his contract.
Wake up. The Sox probably told him they won’t pick up his option so this makes it clean.