One trend the Chicago White Sox have had this offseason is signing free-agent players to one-year deals who will take less than $2 million.
Welp, it took a little more than $2 million to get veteran starting pitcher Martin Perez to join the rotation.
Free-agent pitcher Martin Pérez and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a contract, pending physical, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 8, 2025
Perez will get a one-year deal where he will make $3.5 million. The deal also includes a $10 million mutual option for 2026 with a $1.5 million buyout. So pretty much he has signed a one-year deal for $5 million because if he pitches well, Perez will likely go back to free agency.
Martin Perez White Sox deal: $3.5M salary for 2025 with a $1.5M buyout on a $10M 2026 mutual option ($5M guarantee) @ByRobertMurray 1st with agreement
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 8, 2025
Also, if he pitches well, he will likely be dealt by the trade deadline. That is how he ended up in San Diego last season as he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Padres before the 2024 midseason trade deadline.
Perez provides a veteran innings-eating left-handed starting pitcher the Sox needed.
Perez will not replace Garrett Crochet's ace production. He will at least give the Sox a left-handed starter in their rotation. However, Perez did make the All-Star team in 2022 when he posted a career-best 2.89 ERA and a 3.59 FIP along with a 3.9 fWAR.
He had a 4.45 ERA in 2023 when he won a World Series ring with the Texas Rangers. He pitched in two games as a reliever--one in the ALCS and one in the World Series--during that run.
Perez struggled with the Pirates last season when he posted a 5.20 ERA but finished strong with the Padres as evidenced by his 3.46 ERA over 10 starts. He did not pitch for the Padres in the postseason.
Perez can eat innings as the 13-year veteran has tossed 1575.2 innings in his career, which includes 269 starts.
He also pitched for the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins. He has a career 1109 strikeouts.
His ERA is usually above four and sometimes it has finished over five. He will induce grounders with a career 48.7% ground ball percentage. Perez is also not going to throw as hard as Crochet with his fastball typically topping out at 94mph.
He also throws a sinker that reaches 90 and mixes in a cutter, change-up, and a curveball.
Perez also now has signed the richest deal the Sox have handed out this offseason. He will likely push Bryse Wilson, another veteran pitcher the Sox signed this offseason, back to the bullpen where he is more productive.
The Sox could have Wilson still join the starting rotation if the front office thinks Sean Burke is not ready for a full season as a big-league starting pitcher. It also creates some veteran competition for Burke and Shane Smith, selected in the Rule 5 Draft, to earn a spot
This is another prudent signing made by the front office. Once his signing is officially announced along with infielder Josh Rojas' signing being made official, the White Sox will have to remove two players from the 40-man roster to make room for the veterans.