The Pittsburgh Pirates have made another move to bolster their starting rotation, adding veteran left-hander Martín Pérez on a one-year, $8 million deal. The 32-year-old pitcher, who won the World Series with Texas in November, is set to undergo a medical exam before the deal is finalized.
This marks the second left-handed starter to join the Pirates in recent weeks, with the acquisition of Marco Gonzales from Atlanta on December 5. The Braves agreed to send Pittsburgh $9.25 million to cover a portion of Gonzales’ salary for next season.
With plenty of space in the rotation for new additions, the Pirates are looking to take another step forward in 2024 after finishing this season with a record of 76-86, an improvement of 15 wins compared to the previous season.
Pérez had an impressive 10-4 record for the Rangers last season, with a 4.45 ERA in 35 games, including 20 starts. He also made three relief appearances in the playoffs as Texas won the World Series for the first time in history.
The Venezuelan’s salary with the Pirates is a significant decrease from the $19.65 million he earned this year after accepting the Rangers’ qualifying offer.
While the Pirates look to add potential talent from their minor league system to complement their rotation, it seems that they are not done seeking outside help at the major league level.