Martin Perez Says Rangers Signed ‘Right Guys’

Martin Perez was the Rangers Pitcher of the Year for 2022, but thanks to free agency acquisitions he likely won't be the ace in 2023.

Martín Pérez kept hearing that Texas Rangers ownership and management were tired of losing. He signed his $19.65 million qualifying offer for 2023 in November and waited.

He was rewarded.

By the time Pérez stepped to the podium to accept his Rangers Pitcher of the Year Award recently, he was no longer the staff’s ace.

The left-hander has no problem with that.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of things — we want to win, we want to win now,” Pérez said. “If you want to make it to the playoffs you have to have pitchers. Now we have it. and I think they’ve picked the right guys.”

Last season Pérez went 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA in 32 starts. He earned his first All-Star Game appearance and had one of the best months of May in Rangers and baseball history, which ultimately led to American League Pitcher of the Month honors.

But he didn’t have much help. Another veteran, Jon Gray, had a 7-7 record but missed more than two months with various injuries.

That left the back half of the rotation in the hands of young starters like Glenn Otto, Dane Dunning, Cole Ragans and Spencer Howard, all of whom were inconsistent. Otto ended up with the most wins of the group, matching Gray’s win total. Another young pitcher, Taylor Hearn, started the season as a starter and moved to the bullpen, where he flourished.

Those young starters have all been usurped by the offseason spending spree, which resulted in the organization committing nearly $100 million to starting pitching for 2023.

Pérez and Gray are the only returning veterans. The Rangers traded Kolby Allard to the Atlanta Braves for Jake Odorizzi. Then the Rangers signed two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, along with Andrew Heaney and Texas native Nathan Eovaldi, who won a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox.

Signing deGrom alone would have been a signal that the Rangers were sick of losing, as team ownership have said they are after six straight losing seasons. But the volume of acquisitions means the Rangers have six veterans to lean on, most of which are on deals that last three years or fewer, signaling that the organization is still committed to growing its young talent in the minors and eventually moving them up to Arlington.

“The key is to have a good pitching staff,” Pérez said.

Pérez is only on a one-year deal and can hit free agency again after this season. He wanted to work out a long-term deal with Texas, and the Rangers signaled willingness as well. But the only other team that expressed interest was the Los Angeles Angels. Ultimately, Pérez chose the large one-year deal and the comfort of pitching for a team that he felt comfortable with.

He appears at peace with the idea that he may have to prove himself again, especially after last year’s career-changing success.

“To me it means a lot because I know I can do it again,” Pérez said. “I know how to pitch. I’m not saying that I’m better than anybody. I just know how to pitch and being back with this team is a lot because I want to be a part of the history. Now we’re here and we have no excuses because we have everything we need.”

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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