Red Sox decline 2021 option on LHP Martin Perez, J.D. Martinez doesn’t opt out

Unsurprisingly, the Red Sox made the decision on Sunday not to pick up the $6.25-million option on lefty Martin Perez.

Perez, 29, finished his first season with the Red Sox with a 3-5 record and a 4.50 ERA.

He was originally signed to a two-year deal with an option for 2021 that’ll cost the Sox’ $500,000 to buy out.

It was a fairly obvious choice given Perez has the highest ERA (5.30) of any pitcher with at least 50 starts over the last three years. His 1.54 WHIP is also dead last among that group, while his 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings is worse than all but seven of those starters.

While he was a reliable innings eater for the Sox in 2020, he made little-to-impact on their .400 winning percentage, the team’s worst since 1965. With Chris Sale due back from Tommy John surgery around May and the Sox feeling hopeful about Eduardo Rodriguez’s recovery from myocarditis, a rare complication from the coronavirus, they’re better off utilizing their resources elsewhere in 2021.

There isn’t a robust starting pitcher market for the Sox to dip their toes into this winter. Trevor Bauer leads the class, which is lacking in top-end talent.

But the Sox will have a lot of financial flexibility if they choose to acquire talent via trade.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, J.D. Martinez did not opt out from his remaining contract, which owes him just over $19 million in each of the next two seasons. Martinez said recently he did not expect to opt out given his disastrous 2020 season in which he statistically finished as a bottom-10 hitter in multiple categories.

The Sox are reportedly nearing a decision on their managerial search, with Alex Cora still the most likely of a large group of candidates that have been interviewed.

Cora’s one-year suspension for his involvement in the 2017 Astros’ sign-stealing scandal was lifted after the World Series ended and the Sox have been in contact with their former skipper, a favorite among the ownership group.

The Sox are likely waiting on hiring a manager before they fill their vacancies at bench coach and bullpen coach.

Cora’s former boss and one-time Astros manager A.J. Hinch also saw his suspension lifted after the World Series and was quickly signed as the new manager of the Detroit Tigers.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3mVfKn1