Pirates' 2024 free agent addition signs with White Sox after trade deadline departure

Another former member of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 2024 starting rotation has found a new home for 2025, as Robert Murray of FanSided was first to report that veteran southpaw Martín Pérez had signed a one-year free agent contract with the Chicago White Sox.

José F. Rivera of ESPN further reported that Pérez's new contract is for one year at $5 million, pending a physical. The White Sox have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move once the signing becomes official.

Pérez, who turns 34 in April, is a soft-tossing lefty who made 16 starts for the Pirates last season before being dealt to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline. Over 135 innings split between Pittsburgh and San Diego, he logged a 4.53 ERA, struck out 18.1% of batters he faced and issued walks at a 8.3% rate.

Fresh off a World Series championship with the Texas Rangers in 2023, Pérez signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Pirates as a free agent for the 2024 season. The emergence of Pirates rookie starters Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, as well as Luis Ortiz's move from the bullpen to the starting rotation, made Pérez expendable at the trade deadline, with the Pirates netting 18-year-old Dominican Summer League pitcher Ronaldys Jimenez in return.

Former Pirates pitcher Martín Pérez signs one-year deal with White Sox after trade deadline departure

Pérez's production saw immediate improvement upon being traded to San Diego, as his ERA dropped from 5.20 in 16 starts with the Pirates to 3.46 in 10 starts with the Padres. His strikeout rate also improved to 20.3% in San Diego, which he attributed in part to a change in his pitch mix that saw him throw more changeups and curveballs while limiting his use of cutters and sliders.

Pérez didn't make the Padres' postseason roster until Joe Musgrove went down with an injury, and San Diego was eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers before Pérez had a chance to pitch.

While the White Sox will almost certainly benefit from Pérez's veteran leadership on the mound and in the clubhouse, he can also provide value as a trade chip at the deadline for a second consecutive season if Chicago is looking to make a deal with a contender.

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