MLB Rumors: Martin Perez Reported To Have Made Decision On Qualifying Offer

At the age of 31, after 11 years in the major leagues, left-hander Martin Perez came out of nowhere to have an All-Star season for the Texas Rangers in 2022. He posted a 2.89 ERA that was nearly two runs better than his previous career mark, with basically the same selection of pitches and underlying metrics. 

Was it a fluke? The Texas Rangers are betting it wasn't, by offering him the $19.65M qualifying offer for 2023. And now, according to a new report, Perez appears to be ready to accept it, ahead of tomorrow's deadline.

Source: LHP Martin Pérez is likely to accept the Rangers’ Qualifying Offer by tomorrow’s deadline, barring a change in his marketplace over the next 24 hours. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 14, 2022

MLB Insider Jon Morosi says his sources tell him that, barring any crazy happenings on the free agent pitching market in the next 24 hours, Perez will be accepting the offer.

And why not? Perez made $4M with the Rangers last season, and a nearly $16M raise sounds pretty good. His career earnings to this point had been about $34M. So to earn 56% of that in just one season is a huge boon for the lefty. 

In addition to the 2.89 ERA, he had a so-so 1.26 WHIP, and a middling 7.7 K/9. 

Two other players are straddling the line or taking or leaving the qualifying offer, and we broke it all down earlier Monday morning.  

Photo: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports