Not Odalis Perez, it’s Oliver Perez who is back!
“It’s like déjà vu all over again” —Yogi Berra.
In his debut with the Nationals organization, Oliver Perez fired five one-hit frames for Harrisburg. http://t.co/shKNrww via @Minorleagues
— MiLB.com (@MiLB) May 20, 2011
For those who remember, Oliver Perez signed a Minor League deal with the Nats on March 23, 2011, and was assigned to AA-Harrisburg. His time with Harrisburg seemed to resurrect his career as he transitioned full-time to being a reliever. Earlier in Perez’s career he went from seasons of looking like an ace as in 2004 (2.98 ERA) to a disgrace the following season (5.85 ERA). Perez never found that consistency as a starter.
The 34 year old Perez is now more of a lefty specialist as righties tee off on him about 1/3 of the time, and lefties last year only slashed .185/.235/.283/.517 against him. What we found was that Perez faltered when he was used in consecutive days as his ERA skyrocketed to a 6.30 ERA and when he pitched with a days rest or more his ERA was more than cut in half. He was best with 2 to 3 days rest where he had a 2.70 ERA last year, and as mentioned was best when facing lefties.
Oliver’s repertoire is fastball and slider and throws both a 4-seamer sitting 93 and a sinker at 92 and a slider at 80mph. He throws 60% fastballs and 40% sliders.
Perez didn’t come cheap costing Rizzo $3.5 million a season on a 2 year deal. It’s Rizzo’s biggest signing of the season next to inking Dusty Baker!
This could be the first of many moves before Rizzo packs up for the Winter Meetings in Nashville as rumors are running the mill that Darren O’Day is very close to signing a deal with either the Nats, O’s, or Braves according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
What name is missing from that list? The Dodgers.
On another front, #Dodgers have lost out on Darren O'Day. Ryan Madson is now their top late inning bullpen target.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 5, 2015
The Dodgers, who we were told by a source, was the high bidder which signals that O’Day would give up the most cash for the preference to stay on the East Coast and more specifically in the Washington DC region where his wife Elizabeth Prann of FOX News is an on-air personality.
However, #Nationals do not expect to be high bidder for O’Day, per sources. Hoping he takes less because his wife works for Fox News in D.C.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 4, 2015
Ken Rosenthal thought the Nats wouldn’t be the high bidder which was not a secret with the Dodgers going aggressively after him, but in a series of Tweets Connolly had the Nats as the “clear front-runner”.
Now hearing that the #Nationals are the clear front-runner for O'Day. A deal could happen soon. O'Day has spent last 4 years w Os
— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) December 4, 2015
If Connolly is correct, O’Day lost a lot of leverage with the word getting out that the Dodgers were out of the running:
Hearing O'Day sweepstakes down to #Orioles #Nationals #Braves. Nearing finish line. Decision could come b4 winter meetings. Def by end of WM
— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) December 4, 2015
With the Dodgers losing out on Zach Greinke, not sure what the Dodgers do.
