Morning Rundown: Martin Perez deal official, Max Kranick DFA
Pirates make Perez deal official, Max Kranick designated for assignment
After a delay, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made their free-agent signing of Martin Perez official. As the corresponding move, Max Kranick was designated for assignment.
Perez, 32, had a career-best season in 2022, going 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA (3.80 xFIP) across 196.1 innings pitched. He has an 85-81 record over his career, posting a 4.44 ERA (4.50 xFIP) while striking out 16% of the batters he’s faced.
Pitching for the World Series champions Texas Rangers last year, Perez was relegated to the bullpen during the end of the season and playoffs, where he pitched better.
Kranick, 26, was the 11th pick for the Pirates in 2016 and made his major league debut in 2021.
In 11 career games, nine of which were starts, Kranick has posted a 5.56 ERA (5.69 xFIP) across 43.2 innings pitched with the Pirates. He has a career strikeout rate of 17.9%.
He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, returning to action late last season. Kranick pitched in nine total games between two levels, posting a 4.35 ERA across 20.2 innings pitched, striking out 14 batters and walking nine.
Former Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies on Friday.
In the two years with the Miami Marlins, the 34-year-old Stallings posted a .576 OPS across 660 plate appearances.
He joins another former Pirates’ catcher on the Rockies, Elias Diaz. An All-Star last year, Diaz played 250 games for Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2019.
Every Monday during the offseason, we will be doing a mailbag article. Please send in your questions to have them answered! Either comment below with ‘mailbag’ entered in the message or email us at bucsondeckqa@gmail.com.
I look forward to answering what you guys have!
If the Pirates lose Kranick, oh well. If he stays, oh well.
He was mostly another velo pop up guy whose fastball still saw too much contact, and a breaker with limited swing and miss. His breaking balls looked relatively improved last year, but overall, was still meh.
Pirates management answering questions now, 5 likes and ill grill them on who bmac’s sources are