Martin Perez
That’s World Champion Martin Perez to you! The left-hander is coming off a title run with the Texas Rangers, though he wasn’t the front-facing feature act like he was in 2022 when he got an All-Star nod and finished with a 2.89 ERA in 32 starts.
But after 20 starts and a 4.89 ERA in 2023, he was moved to the bullpen, where he performed much better. The veteran had a 2.70 ERA in 15 games as a reliever. Not bad! The only downside was that he was called upon for just 4.2 postseason innings and didn’t perform particularly well.
Perez isn’t somebody the Dodgers should sign to improve their rotation or bullpen — he should be added to eat innings wherever he might be needed. Entering his age-33 season, Perez has logged 196 and 141 innings each of the past two years. That has value. And given his role is a bit up in the air right now, it’s another situation where his value is arguably at its lowest.
Think a cheaper and less effective version of Andrew Heaney but with more runway. Not an inspiring signing, but one that helps you trudge through a 162-game season.