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Texas Rangers pitcher Martin Perez says the team has informed him that they will pick up his option for the 2018 season, per T.R. Sullivan on Twitter. The Rangers hold a $6 million option on Perez for the 2018 season, with a $2.45 million buyout.
The decision appeared to be a foregone conclusion, though this is the first confirmation we’ve gotten that it will happen. While Perez, 26, has been seen as something of a disappointment since he returned late in 2015 from Tommy John surgery, over the past two seasons he has given the Rangers 377 IP over 64 starts, with a 4.55 FIP, a 4.60 ERA and a 101 ERA+. He’s basically been the definition of a league-average innings eater, and for $6 million, that is a bargain.
The Rangers also hold an option on the lefthander for the 2019 season at $7.5 million with a $750,000 buyout, and an option for 2020 at $9 million with a $250,000 buyout. If Perez continues to pitch like he has since his return from surgery, those options should be pretty easy decisions to pick up as well.