Martín Pérez Proving to Be a Steal of a Signing for Braves Early On

The Atlanta Braves got another solid day out of veteran starting pitcher Martín Pérez. He delivered 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball during Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Overall, on the season, he has a 2.38 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, a 171 ERA+ and hitters are batting .193 against him. He's defying all of his metrics on Baseball Savant, though his offseed run value is in the 89th percentile. Regardless of being needed out of the bullpen or as a starting pitcher, he’s delivered more often than not.

Arguably, the only time he hasn’t delivered was in his second appearance of the season, when he allowed four earned runs over five innings pitched out in Arizona. Besides that, he’s been available to get the job done every four to five days without fail, even after being designated for assignment and re-signed.

He was an option who drew little fanfare when he signed over the offseason. He arrived on a minor-league contract with a spring training invite. His deal is worth $3.5 million, according to Spotrac, which he got after being added to the MLB roster. He made just 11 starts the year before. He didn't crack the opening day roster, though he arrived shortly after.

Many on the outside were frustrated that he was a candidate over a bigger free-agent signing, and this isn’t to say the Braves get off scot-free after not making that acquisition. This team is having to take its rotation series by series. Multiple arms got hurt before the season even started, and some have moved to the bullpen. They’re actually quite fortunate that this stealth pick-up happened.

He’s pitching well above the value of the contract he signed. If he had been healthier last season, the Braves likely would have had to sign him to a major league contract and paid him more. That still would have been worth it, but this was the right deal at the right time to pounce on.

Injuries played a role in a spot being carved out for him, but he still had to meet that opportunity halfway. If he struggled when he saw action, he would have probably been back in Triple-A already, and the Braves would be trying to figure out another option for covering those innings.

Pérez has instead kept things stable despite all the different moves that have had to be made over the first five or six weeks of the season. Every time through the rotation, he’s gotten the team innings in some fashion.

For what it’s worth, too, this is an acquisition that has gone better than some others that could have happened. For example, Chris Bassitt and Zack Littell look inconsistent with the current teams. People would have initially applauded these signings, then been frustrated that the Braves had given money to these players instead of another pitcher who would have been a better signing earlier in the offseason.

This is still one of the better timelines to be in. They still have the financial flexibility to add another starter at the deadline. They would have that if they made a bigger splash that didn’t work out. Instead, they have the option while also having an under-the-radar signing that has worked out.

This move was part of the domino effect that has helped them be one of the best teams in the game this season. It’s a move they would make every time.

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