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HOUSTON – Hey, just a quick and not-so-casual reminder: It can always get worse.
The Rangers’ starting rotation has been the team’s weak point all year, leading general manager Chris Young to declare the club will pursue multiple starters this winter. Could probably use some bullpen arms, too. Which is a lot of costly, heavy lifting. Now, imagine if they must replace Martín Pérez, too.
A month from now, though, that becomes a very real possibility. He’s inching towards the finish of the best season of his career, still on track to be a free agent and still very much interested in staying in Texas in the long-term. The difference is: With each start, it becomes more apparent the Rangers can’t just consider bringing him back, they need to get a deal done. The sooner the better, quite frankly, so come free agency they can focus on other pitching needs.
The good news for them: They pretty much have the remainder of the season and all of October to negotiate exclusively. Not like they are getting much from the actual games, having officially been eliminated from the AL West race on Labor Day. They did, however, end their nine-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over Houston Tuesday. The winning run scored on a wild pitch in the seventh. So about more important things: Like putting together a rotation for 2023.
“I have the same feeling about [the organization]; I want to be here,” Pérez said Tuesday, a day after retaking the AL lead in innings pitched after allowing a lone run in a 1-0 loss to Houston. “I told them that. We weren’t at the numbers before the trade deadline, and I told them then that I just want to keep doing my job. We can talk after the season.”
Now, here’s the thing: He also knows that, given the Rangers’ need and his performance, his price to return is only going up. He’s got – what do the kids call it – leverage. Not that he would ever say such a thing. But it’s there alright.
Consider a few numbers:
Pérez’s quality start Tuesday was his 19th of the year. The other 14 pitchers to have started for the Rangers this season have combined for 23. He has 21 of the Rangers’ 48 starts of at least six innings.
Pérez, now at 166 innings, has a 2.82 ERA for the year, which is a very nice number, but hardly the only indicator of pitcher success these days. But, even with Pérez, the rotation ERA of 4.49 ranks 13th in the AL ahead of Detroit (4.67) and Kansas City (4.69). Take Pérez out and the rest of the rotation has combined for a 5.05 ERA.
There are others. Thanks to a career-best strikeout rate, Pérez has the best Fielding Independent Pitching number of his career, which suggests he’s not simply relying on “luck” of players fielding ground balls. Also, his ground ball rate has remained true while keeping his walk rate below 9%. It all screams that he’s simply pitched really well.
If the Rangers don’t need him, they sure could use guys like him.
“We’re going to need multiple starters that give us a chance to win every single night,” said Paul Kruger, director of baseball operations, echoing Young’s decree from the weekend. “When we’ve had that, we’ve done a good job. We need consistency night in and night out.”
The Rangers need Pérez.
Heim needs time: The Rangers are giving Jonah Heim time to catch his breath this week as it appears his workload has dragged down his offensive game. Heim, out of the lineup Tuesday, will also get Wednesday off. Combined with the team’s scheduled off day Thursday, it will give him a three-day break. Sam Huff, called up Monday, will catch Tuesday.
The drag is noticeable. Heim is 1 for 11 in his last four games, 2 for 32 over his last 11 and 3 for 44 over his last 16 to drop his batting average to a season-low .233. Heim, seventh among all MLB catchers in innings caught, is hitting just .140 with a .512 OPS since August 1.
On Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant
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Texas Rangers cannot afford to lose Martin Perez this winter - The Dallas Morning News
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