Houston Astros acquire Oliver Perez from D’Backs
The Houston Astros announced on Saturday that they’ve acquired reliever Oliver Perez from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Minor league lefty Junior Garcia will go back to Arizona in the deal.
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July 31 seemed to signal the end of the Astros’ improvements, but they made a big step towards suring up their bullpen on Saturday in adding Perez. The 33-year-old boasts a .183 batting average against vs. lefties this year, and hasn’t given up a run in his last 23 appearances dating back to June 1. While the Astros certainly weren’t desperate for bullpen help — they rank second in the American League with a 2.70 team ERA — Perez makes Houston’s pen that much deeper as they push for a playoff berth.
After pitching as a starter for the majority of his career, Perez turned to a relief role after pitching his way out of the majors with the Mets in the late 2000’s. He missed the 2011 campaign entirely after his poor 2010 campaign with New York, but caught on with the Mariners in a bullpen role and thrived in 2012. He signed with Arizona after two successful years in Seattle, and that deal will expire after this season.
It’s hard to think that the Astros would make any more major acquisitions in August, though the Perez deal signifies that they’ll be on the lookout for subtle upgrades that give them an edge over the Angels and Rangers down the stretch.
Next: Texas Rangers Acquire Mike Napoli
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