Former Indians' closer Chris Perez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Dodgers sign Chris Perez
He won’t be closing, or pitching the eighth, but Perez will look to bounce back in LA.
Jason Miller
Perez, a 2011 All-Star with Cleveland, was released by the club shortly after the season. The 28-year-old has had legal trouble in the past and his performance has slipped over the last two seasons, but his salary could have been the biggest factor in the decision. Perez earned significant raises through arbitration, a process that holds counting stats -- like saves -- in high regard. His salary jumped from right around the league minimum in 2010 up to $7.3 million last season. This offseason, the arbitration panel wasn’t going to take as much money away from Perez as would be necessary for the Indians to justify his roster spot, hence the non-tender.
Needless to say, a non-closer for somewhere around $8 million wasn’t an option for Cleveland, but the Dodgers just shook out the couch cushions Matt Kemp spent half his 2013 on, and discovered they had some extra cash laying around for that luxury.
Perez isn't likely to earn close to that amount in Los Angeles, of course. This might be more of a reclamation project for the team, and for Perez, who could use the opportunity to build his value for 2015. The Dodgers already have Kenley Jansen pegged for the ninth, and Brian Wilson just signed a one-year, $10 million deal to pitch the eighth.
More from SB Nation MLB:
See More:
