What Rangers Martin Perez Deal, Suitors Might Look Like

While Martin Perez wants to stay with the Texas Rangers, one report lists two East Coast teams as potential suitors in free agency.

The Texas Rangers and pitcher Martín Pérez have made it clear they want to be in business together long-term. In fact, negotiations on a new deal started right after the season.

For the moment, there is no agreement. The longer things go, the more competition the Rangers could have.

The New York Post ranked its Top 30 free agents in Major League Baseball and Pérez made the list at No. 20. The list was a bit unique in that it not only provided potential suitors for each player, but the Post found an industry expert to provide an estimate on contract cost and length.

The Post’s expert had Pérez fetching a three-year deal worth $50 million. The potential competition is interesting.

Along with the Rangers, the story listed the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets as potential suitors.

Pérez, who broke in with the Rangers in 2012 and played for Texas for his first eight seasons, returned on a one-year, $4 million deal in 2022 and ended up becoming the Rangers ace. He went 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA, the latter among the best in the American League. He threw 196 1/3 innings, just two off his career high. He did have a career-high 169 strikeouts. He also made the All-Star Team for the first time.

While he was consistent all season, his May was something to remember, as he earned both Rangers Player of the Month and American League Pitcher of the Month honors.

Pérez went 4-0 with an 0.64 ERA (three earned runs in 42 1/3 innings) in six starts in May, and the Rangers were 6-0 in those outings. It was the second-lowest ERA in club history for any month by a Texas pitcher with at least five starts (Yovani Gallardo, 0.54 in June 2015).

Even if the Rangers want him back, and Pérez wants to come back, there’s the matter of the money and his age. Pérez is 31 and this is likely his last opportunity to cash in on a multi-year deal, one that would carry him into his mid-30s.

The two teams the Post believes might vie for Pérez are interesting. Pérez played for the Red Sox in 2020-21 and went 10-13 with a 4.65 ERA. He wasn’t particularly consistent with Boston, but the Red Sox are familiar with him.

The Mets have a raft of starting and relief pitching hitting the market. Some of it the Mets may be able to keep. But front-line starter Jacob deGrom and reliever Edwin Diaz are among those hitting the market. The article points out that the Rangers may have interest in deGrom, and it’s possible that interest overtakes getting a deal done with Pérez.

Mets general manager Jimmy Eppler is a bit familiar with Pérez, as he was the GM for the Los Angeles Angels from 2015-20 and saw Pérez during AL West action.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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