Rangers, Perez not close, per Morosi

The Texas Rangers and free agent pitcher Martin Perez “aren’t close” on a contract, per Jon Morosi on Twitter. Morosi says that the Rangers are “seen as likely” to offer Perez a qualifying offer by Thursday’s deadline, if no deal is agreed to by then.

Perez would seem to be likely to accept the qualifying offer, if the Rangers do tender him the QO, although player and team could also work out a multi-year deal, either before Thursday’s deadline, or sometime after a qualifying offer is tendered. Perez had a terrific season for Texas in 2022, and the Rangers offered to keep him rather than deal him at the deadline due in no small part to their desire to bring Perez back for 2023.

I expect that, one way or the other, Perez will be with the Rangers in 2023 — he wants to return, the team wants him back, and the qualifying offer would complicate the market for Perez as a free agent. If Perez wants to bet on himself, he can take the one year deal at almost $20 million, and if he is close to repeating what he did in 2022, he’ll have a significant market for his services next winter, and no qualifying offer hanging around his neck.