Red Sox Breaking News: Boston re-signs lefty free agent Martin Pérez

The Boston Red Sox have re-signed fan favorite Martin Pérez

The Red Sox have finally added another arm to their pitching staff though it may not be the one everyone was expecting. Most were expecting Boston to make a move for Corey Kluber but it was the Yankees that made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. That didn’t deter Chaim Bloom from making a move to beef up his staff and a fan favorite familiar face is returning to Fenway Park.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox were close to re-signing southpaw starter, Martin Pérez. Masslive.com’s Chris Cotillo would corroborate the report that Boston and Pérez have put pen to paper on a one-year/$4.5M deal that also carries either a $6M option or $500K buyout for 2022, pending his physical.

You all know that I’m a big Pérez guy and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there. Is he a lights-out ace that will dominate the opposition? Nope. But he is a reliable arm that can eat innings in both good and bad situations and will keep the team in the game for as long as he can.

He was also one of, if not, Boston’s most trusted starter in 2020 as the team didn’t have many arms to rely on. Again, his 3-5 record, 4.50 ERA, and 1.339 WHIP may not be anything to write home about but he led the team with 62 IP and didn’t miss a single start.

Pérez was the definition of a low-cost/big reward signing ahead of this past season and it looks like Chaim is going to that well one more time to try and catch lightning in a bottle again. I’ll be honest and admit that I’m going to gush over the southpaw here a bit and I’ve got no shame in that. He was a member of this organization for half a year and was ready to go to war for the club by the end of his tenure.

When Boston declined his option I was a bit confused but in hindsight, it made plenty of sense based on the price tag. By signing him for a lower salary they not only get a player that is familiar with the organization and team but now have money they can spend elsewhere. If Boston wants to compete in 2021, as they’ve said multiple times, Pérez can’t be the last pitcher signing they make before the season.

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A few days ago I listed Martin as one of my former Boston players to re-sign in free agency. So I’m glad this worked out. If I had to encapsulate his time with the Red Sox into one moment, it would be his guest appearance on the “Section-10 Podcast.” He had nothing but love for Boston and for all of the fans even though they couldn’t be in attendance. Pérez also made it very clear that he had no issues mixing it up with the Yankees if it ever came down to it.

I don’t know where he’ll slot into the rotation as things are much different this time around. We’ll eventually get the return of Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez is on pace for an Opening Day return. Nathan Eovaldi will drop back into the three-hole as the anchor of the staff. This leaves Pérez, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta battling for the final two spots. In my estimation, Martin will be Cora’s fourth man in the rotation with Houck and Pivetta competing to be the fifth man.

Even if you find this news underwhelming it’s still a step in the right direction. Boston needs quality veteran arms and Martin offers exactly that. Add in his familiarity with the organization and this should be a seamless reunion. Hell, even if Pérez doesn’t retain a spot in the rotation he could transition into a long reliever and eat up innings when necessary. No matter where he lands in the lineup, having Pérez Day back in Boston will at least give us one thing to look forward to in 2021!