The Nationals are taking a low-risk, potentially high-reward swing with left-hander Cionel Pérez, signing the veteran reliever to a minor league deal that includes an invite to big-league Spring Training. If he makes the roster, Pérez will earn $1.9 million, with another $700,000 in incentives-reasonable money for a bullpen arm with his track record.
Pérez, now eight years into his big-league journey, has seen his share of ups and downs. After bouncing between the Astros and Reds from 2018 through 2021, he landed in Baltimore via waivers and, for a time, looked like a bullpen gem.
His 2022 season with the Orioles was a breakout-1.40 ERA over 57 2/3 innings, 66 appearances, and a whole lot of soft contact. He kept the ball on the ground (51.3% groundball rate) and in the park (0.31 HR/9), two traits that made him a go-to option in high-leverage spots.
Even if the expected metrics like xERA (3.63) and FIP (2.80) suggested some regression was possible, they still painted him as a strong contributor.
But that 2022 version of Pérez hasn’t quite returned. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, his production leveled off.
He still got grounders-58.3% groundball rate over those two years, including a career-best 60.7% in 2023-but his strikeout and walk numbers moved in the wrong direction, leaving him with a 7.2% K-BB rate. The end result: a 4.04 ERA across 107 innings.
Respectable, but a step back from his peak.
Then came the rough patch in 2025. In just 19 appearances over the first two months, Pérez posted an 8.31 ERA.
His command wobbled-16.4% walk rate, his worst since his Reds days-and hitters started to lift the ball against him. He gave up three home runs in just 21 2/3 innings, nearly matching the four he allowed over the previous three seasons combined.
Add in a sky-high .379 BABIP, and it was clear things weren’t breaking his way. Still, while his 3.93 xERA hinted at some bad luck, the 5.77 FIP suggested the struggles weren’t all circumstantial.
The Orioles eventually removed him from the 40-man roster, and Pérez spent the rest of the season in Triple-A, where he continued to scuffle (6.85 ERA in 22 1/3 innings). It was a tough fall for a pitcher who, not long ago, looked like a key piece in a contending bullpen.
That said, there’s still something here. Dig into his Statcast numbers, and you find signs of life.
His fastball velocity, expected batting average, barrel rate, and groundball rate were all tracking in the 71st percentile or better-again, had he pitched enough to qualify. His slurve and sinker remained effective weapons as recently as 2024, with opponents slugging just .282 and .314 off those pitches, respectively.
The raw stuff hasn’t disappeared.
For Washington, this is a smart flier. The Nationals’ bullpen is young and largely untested.
Outside of Julian Fernández and Richard Lovelady, there isn’t much big-league experience to lean on. Pérez brings that, along with a history of inducing weak contact and groundballs-traits that can stabilize a bullpen quickly if he finds his form.
If he pitches well enough to make the Opening Day roster, his $1.9 million salary nudges the Nationals’ payroll to $95.38 million, with a luxury tax payroll of $118.18 million-still well within reasonable limits for a team in the middle of a rebuild. And if things click, Pérez could become a valuable trade chip by midseason.
It’s a classic low-risk move for a team looking to find pieces that can either help now or be flipped for future assets. For Pérez, it’s a shot at redemption in a bullpen that could use a steady hand.