The San Diego Padres have acquired veteran left-handed starting pitcher Martín Pérez in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. First with the story was Francys Romero.
Martin Perez trade to the Padres, per sources.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) July 30, 2024
Padres Get Veteran Starting Pitcher Martín Pérez in Trade with Pirates
Nobody should be surprised that the Pirates have moved on from Pérez. When he was signed to a one-year deal, it seemed likely that he’d be dealt at the deadline when starters from the Pirates’ minor league stash were ready. Jared Jones unexpectedly made the squad out of spring training, and Luis Ortiz has since emerged as a viable option. Thus, the inconsistent Pérez was expendable. With Bailey Falter off the injured list and scheduled to start Tuesday night’s game, the Pirates have six starting pitchers on the active roster, with Jones soon to follow. In that group, Pérez is the No. 7 starter.
So far this season, Pérez is 2-5 with a 5.20 ERA and 1.651 WHIP. Opponents are hitting .312/.376/.499 against him. While he began the season as the Pirates’ No. 2 starter, he profiles as strictly a back-of-the-rotation starter. He had a 2.86 ERA at the end of April. Since then, he’s had a 6.89 ERA and 6.14 FIP, with opponents hitting .346/.404/.595 against him. He had a 2.89 ERA as recently as 2022. The Padres hope they’re getting the Pérez of 2022.
With the deal for Jason Adam followed by another for Tanner Scott, the Padres are going all-in for 2024. The Padres seem to have an endless supply of prospects to deal at the deadline. Heading into the deadline, one of the Padres’ biggest weaknesses was pitching. It’s unknown how they plan on using Pérez, but he has major-league experience in both the rotation and the bullpen.
What the Pirates are Getting
The Pirates are getting unranked left-handed pitching prospect Ronaldys Jimenez in the exchange. For what it’s worth, he’s pitched six innings in the Rookie league this season, giving up one run and striking out eight. More importantly for the Pirates, they save on the remainder of Pérez’s $8 million contract.
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