Former Texas Rangers Fan Favorite Inks Deal with Chicago White Sox

One of the former Texas Rangers fan favorite players has now agreed to a deal with the Chicago White Sox.

Oct 1, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Martin Perez (54) reacts after getting the final out of the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have been able to bolster their pitching staff this offseason, re-signing Nathan Eovaldi and upgrading their bullpen.

They would love to add another starter, particularly Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, but on paper, they have enough in place as currently constructed to compete for a division title and World Series championship again.

One former Rangers player who officially won't be part of the 2025 outlook is Martin Perez.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the left-hander has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox, and Jon Heyman of The New York Post added it's a worth $5 million, with $3.5 million coming by way of salary and the remainder through a buy out.

Perez was signed by Texas in 2007, and five years later at the age of 21, he made his Major League debut with the team, pitching in 12 games and starting six to the tune of a 5.45 ERA.

The lefty spent seven seasons with the Rangers before signing a deal with the Minnesota Twins, and after a two-year stint with the Boston Red Sox from 2020-21, he decided to rejoin his former team.

That's when Perez really became a fan favorite.

Early on in his career, he never quite popped as a top-of-the-rotation arm, having only posted an ERA under 4.00 one time during his first stint.

But, the veteran was sensational upon his return, earning his first career All-Star nod in 2022 before he finished with a 2.89 ERA and 137 ERA+ across his 32 starts and 196.1 innings pitched.

Perez was part of the franchise's first-ever World Series-winning team in 2023 after he signed a lucrative qualifying offer, but following his struggles where he was utilized out of the bullpen at times, the two sides parted ways again last offseason.

Now, the lefty will get another crack at a Major League rotation, joining the White Sox, who are rebuilding, but looking to not have a historically poor campaign like they had in 2024.