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The 2019 Minnesota Twins had many things go right for them on their way to 101-wins and a division title. Minnesota’s Bomba Squad didn’t need shutouts from their starting pitchers because the line-up was scoring runs at a record-breaking pace. Only two of the team’s regular starters had sub-4.00 ERAs, and José Berríos was the lone pitcher to toss 200 innings. It wasn’t an overpowering group, and that might have been one of the reasons the team struggled when it reached October (or it was MLB’s fault for switching back to the old baseball).
Behind Berríos in 2019, Martín Pérez ranked second on the team in innings pitched as he was one of four pitchers to start 29 games or more. In 165 1/3 innings, Pérez posted a 5.12 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP and a 135-to-67 strikeout to walk ratio. Out of the three organizations where he has pitched, Minnesota (89 ERA+) is the only time he had an ERA+ under 100. It was an uneventful season, and he became a free agent at the season’s end.
Since leaving Minnesota, Pérez spent two years in Boston with a 102 ERA+ and 97 strikeouts in 114 innings. He reached free agency for the second time, and he didn’t have a tremendous market. Texas signed Pérez to a one-year, $4 million deal, which is less than the Twins are paying Dylan Bundy. Pérez is off to the best start of his career, and it looks like the Rangers might have found the offseason’s best deal.
In his first 11 starts, Pérez has a 1.56 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP and a 248 ERA+. He leads all of baseball in complete games (1), shutouts (1), and HR/9 (0.1). Baseball Reference’s WAR ranks him as the second overall player, and the number one ranked pitcher. FanGraphs WAR has him as the third highest-ranked pitcher. Since he left Minnesota, one of his most significant changes is an increased use of his sinker, as batters have been limited to a .281 SLG this season when facing that pitch.
If the playoffs started today, who would the Twins feel comfortable starting in the series? Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan have been the team’s best starters, but both have missed time in recent weeks due to injury or COVID. Devin Smeltzer has more to prove before the Twins will trust with an October start. There have been some positive signs from Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer, but neither pitcher seems like they will help the team stop their playoff losing streak.
Pérez is a clear Cy Young candidate on a Texas team in third place in their division with a below .500 record. However, this season, baseball’s expanded playoffs mean the Rangers are less than two games out of a Wild Card spot. There will also be more contending teams interested in adding pitchers than in previous seasons. Texas spent a ton of money on their roster this winter, so they aren’t going to be in sell-mode until absolutely necessary.
Do you think the Twins should target Pérez as a possible rotational upgrade? What do you think it would take to acquire his expiring contract? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
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