PIRATES SIGN PITCHER MARTÍN PÉREZ TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

The Pittsburgh Pirates today signed left-handed pitcher Martín Pérez to a one-year contract for the 2024 season.

Pérez went 10-4 with a 4.45 ERA (141.2ip/70er) and 93 strikeouts in 35 appearances (20 starts) for the Texas Rangers in 2023.

Pérez ranked in the 71st percentile in groundball percentage in 2023 according to Baseball Savant, inducing opposing hitters into 18 grounded into double plays, which were tied for the seventh-most in the American League (his 1.14 grounded into double plays per 9.0 innings also ranked third among American League pitchers with at least 100.0 innings pitched).

The 11-year veteran was named to the American League All-Star team in 2022 while recording the eighth-lowest ERA (2.89) among all qualified pitchers in Rangers
history. Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Pérez also ranks second among all American League pitchers in starts (195), trailing only Jose Berrios (211).

The 32-year-old Pérez has posted double-digit win totals in two straight seasons and six times in his career since breaking into the big leagues in 2012. He will
enter the 2024 campaign ranked 12th all-time among Venezuelan-born pitchers in strikeouts (1002).

Right-handed pitcher Max Kranick has been designated for assignment to make room for Pérez on the 40-man roster.