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The Red Sox and the left-hander Martin perez have agreed to join forces for a second consecutive season, according to Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter). Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com confirms the deal, pending a physical exam. Pérez will earn a salary of $ 4.5 million in 2021 with a $ 6 million option for 2022 accompanied by a buyout of $ 500,000 (Twitter connections). He will also earn an additional $ 100,000 every ten innings from 130 innings in 2021, with a maximum of $ 500,000, adds Rosenthal. Pérez is represented by the OL Baseball Group.
Last year’s pact worked well enough that both sides are essentially returning it for a slightly lower price. Boston declined its $ 6.25 million option last November, paying a $ 500,000 buyout instead. After receiving a $ 6.5 million guarantee last year, Pérez is signing a $ 5 million guarantee this time around with a potential of another $ 6 million if Boston chooses its 2022 option.
Cotillo has said all winter that the Red Sox will need to add at least two arms for their rotation, so a deal with Pérez doesn’t preclude a later deal for an arm like Garrett richards, Matt moore, or Jake odorizzi. Still, Pérez fills a big hole as a safe bet to eat innings. He skillfully held that position in 2020 for the Red Sox, averaging over five innings per start over 12 starts. He had a 4.50 / 4.88 FIP ERA with only a 17.6% pullout rate, 10.7% walk rate, and 38.5% ground ball rate.
While these numbers themselves don’t put the Red Sox back in the game, they represent a significant level of consistency. A rebuilding club like Boston is relying on rote veteran production in certain places on the roster to embolden the coaching staff and the front office as they maneuver a grueling 162-game season. For example, they can resist the temptation to rush for younger arms Chris Sale comes back from his injury. In the game, they can be more conservative with Eduardo Rodriguezthe sleeves knowing that Pérez can help protect the enclosure from overuse surveys.
Boston’s rotation, after all, is riddled with long-term injury issues. From now on, Pérez joins Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta in their starting five, although as we mentioned above, Boston is currently working with a dynamic pool of candidates for rotation. Choice of rule 5 Garrett whitlock could be a candidate for the starts, Sale is expected to return at some point in the season, and they’ll be taking a look at younger arms like Connor seabold and Bryan mata during spring training.
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