THE FORMER RAGERS STAR PLAYER HAS AGAIN RETURNED BACK FOR.

After signing a free-agent contract, Martin Perez, the most-tenured player on the Texas Rangers, left.
Martin Perez, a veteran left-hander for the Texas Rangers, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and is returning to the team for the second time.

The Texas Rangers’ longest-serving player is departing once more.

A one-year contract worth $8 million has been inked by left-hander Martín Pérez with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as per several reports, including one from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

Perez, who spent nine seasons with the team, including the last two, came up through the Rangers organizations and made his Major League debut in 2012.

Perez, who turns 33 in April, spent the rest of the season and postseason in the bullpen after being forced out of the starting rotation in July.

Perez was a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2020 and 2021.

Perez was 65-61 with a 4.30 ERA in nine seasons with the Rangers. In 2022, his finest major league season, he was selected for the All-Star team after going 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA in 32 starts for a team that was below.500.

He finished the 2023 season 10-4, but he faltered in the middle of July and was moved to the bullpen.
Following a 6-1 start and 3.97 ERA in his first 12 starts, Perez went 2-3 with a 6.69 ERA in his next eight starts.
In his first 68 innings, he gave up 10 home runs; in his next 40 1/3 innings, he gave up 8 home runs.

Rangers general manager Chris Young has refrained from discussing any specific free agents when questioned over the last few weeks regarding Perez’s future with the team. Young would only confirm that the team was in active negotiations with every free agent on the roster for 2023.