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The most tenured Texas Rangers player is leaving again.
Left-hander Martin Perez has signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to multiple reports, including MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
Perez, who came up through the Rangers organizations and debuted in the Majors in 2012, spent nine seasons with the club, including the past two.
Perez, who turns 33 in April, was pushed out of the starting rotation in July and was used out of the bullpen for the remainder of the season and postseason.
Perez spent 2020 and 2021 with the Boston Red Sox.
In his nine seasons with the Rangers, Perez was 65-61 with a 4.30 ERA. He earned an All-Star nod in 2022, his best season in the majors in which he went 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA in 32 starts on a sub-.500 team.
He was 10-4 in 2023 but struggled in mid-July before being relegated to the bullpen.
After starting 6-1 with a 3.97 ERA in his first 12 starts, Perez went 2-3 in his next eight with an ERA of 6.69 ERA.
He allowed 10 home runs in his first 68 innings and eight homers in his next 40.1 innings.
When asked over the past couple of weeks about Perez's future with the club, Rangers general manager Chris Young declined to speak specifically about any of the Rangers free agents. Young would only say that the club was actively engaged in talks with each of the current free agents from the 2023 roster.
Perez was unlikely to have a spot in the Rangers' Opening Day rotation but would have been a more than viable option for the club's pitching depth needs.
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Surprising Marlins earn MLB first in sweep of Yankees
The Miami Marlins achieved a franchise first on Sunday. In doing so, they carved out an interesting place in MLB history. With a 7-3 victory over the Yankees, the Marlins swept New York for the first time in a series of three or more games. In doing so, the Marlins became the only team to have a winning record, including the postseason, against the Yankees. The Yankees now have a 22-21 record against the Marlins in the regular season. However, the Marlins won the 2003 World Series against the Yankees in six games, giving the Fish a 25-24 record all-time. The Marlins' victory on Sunday meant more than a unique place in baseball history. That victory evened the Marlins' record at 55-55, the first time they have been at .500 or better since April 15 (8-8). The Marlins are 30-14 in their last 44 games, tying the 2003 championship team for the best stretch (last done from June 18-Aug. 9) in franchise history. The Marlins defied expectations at the trade deadline, holding on to pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. Their only trade involved sending outfielder Jesus Sanchez to Houston, acquiring pitcher Ryan Gusto and a pair of prospects. Expectations were that the Marlins were simply waiting for the offseason to trade those pitchers, as there may be a larger market. Instead, the generally inexperienced Marlins roster is growing and improving by the day. They have clawed back from a 24-40 start to the season to pull themselves into the NL wild-card conversation. Although a lot would need to go right for the Marlins to reach the playoffs this season, they could be a dangerous team over the rest of the season and beyond. The Yankees found that out the hard way.
Knee operation: Kirby Dach not yet back on his feet
Two years ago to the day, Canadiens fans were optimistic about Kirby Dach’s future in Montreal: the 6’4 forward had just collected 38 points in 58 games – in his first campaign in Quebec – and many wondered whether Dach had a better chance of establishing himself as a first NHL center than captain Nick Suzuki. The past 730 days have proven otherwise, but that’s not the point this morning. Since joining the Canadiens, Dach has earned a reputation as a fragile player. Virus, shoulder, upper body (concussion?), lower body, knee(ACL and MCL), knee again… Let’s just say that injuries haven’t spared Dach since he arrived in Montreal. In fact, injuries haven’t spared Dach since he started playing hockey. He has never played more than 70 games in a single season, and has only broken the 60-game barrier three times in nine junior or pro seasons. Last February, Dach underwent a second operation on his right knee in the space of 18 months. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes may tell us that Kirby Dach is fine,but we still have our doubts. Especially whenyou consider that, with the Canadiens’ recent additions and departures, Kirby Dach is still the team’s second center on the organizational chart. content-ads]Last week, I wondered where Kirby was ? We’ve seen plenty of Habs players skating at the CN Complex this summer, but not Kirby Dach. And I had to work like a monk to catch a glimpse of him in a video filmed at Nick Suzuki’s wedding! Yesterday, I was told that Kirby Dach was spending the summer in Edmonton with Kaiden Guhle – Dach is from Saskatchewan and Guhle is from Alberta – and that Dach was still in rehab. I repeat: five months after his most recent knee operation and some 40 days before the start of practice camp, Kirby Dach is still not recovered and ready to play. Good informants spotted him in an Edmonton gym doing squats with loads that look like the ones I used to take when I went to Econofitness, not the ones an NHL player uses [content-ads]This explains it: when he came to Montreal for his captain’s wedding, Kirby Dach couldn’t – or wouldn’t – skate with his teammates in Brossard. It’s worth noting that Dach is also very quiet on social networks – his last post was in November 2024 – probably in an effort to be forgotten… to go unnoticed. Spending the summer in Alberta, rather than in Montreal (with his chums at Osheaga), makes sense, when you think about it…Let’s just say that the chances of Dach starting his season at the same time as everyone else in two months’ time are pretty slim, which is cause for concern for those hoping to see the Canadiens in the playoffs in 2026. Yes, the Kirby Dach problem would be solved if a guy like Mason MacTavish-good offensively, defensively, physically and in the face-off circle-came to Montreal, but let’s just say that the odds of that happening this summer are very low. And you can’t make plans with very improbable things![spacer title=’Prolongation’]Matthew Tkachuk, who was injured last winter while throwing down the gloves at the 4 Nations tournament, underwent surgery last month (hernia and adductor). According to the latest information from Elliotte Friedman, Tkachuk could return to action just before the Olympic Games. Let’s hope Kirby Dach doesn’t have to wait as long as Tkachuk.
Bill Simmons adds new dimension to Micah Parsons-Jerry Jones drama with crazy conspiracy
The Dallas Cowboys’ ongoing stalemate with Micah Parsons has been front-page news, but Bill Simmons has another theory. Jerry Jones is a smart businessman, and because of that, the ongoing discourse with one of his greatest players seems odd to say the least. A man worth $15 billion would typically know that publicly frustrating your star players is not exactly the greatest way to do business. The feud has led many former players to chime in with their opinions, and it wouldn’t be the first time that Jones has waited until the final moment to sign one of his stars to an extension. Simmons believes Jerry Jones causes drama with his players on purpose, keeping the Cowboys front of the queue The Dallas Cowboys have typically been late to sign their stars in recent years, namely both Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Many are starting to notice a pattern, with Jerry Jones holding out on the players that matter the most, often getting dangerously close to the season starting before eventually committing to a new contract. In 2024, CeeDee Lamb had to wait until many other wide receivers had gotten their deals before he got his. Justin Jefferson had signed a four-year, $140 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings on June 3rd, while Amon-Ra St. Brown had agreed his deal with the Detroit Lions in late April. DJ Moore agreed his extension with the Chicago Bears on the final day of July, but CeeDee Lamb was forced to wait until August 26th, just a couple of weeks before Week 1 of the new season. Oddly enough, he still got his extension before Dak Prescott, who signed his four-year contract just hours before the first game of the season on September 8th. It wasn’t a small deal either, with Prescott signing his name to a $240 million deal the morning of the game. Now in 2025, history is repeating itself, with Micah Parsons being forced to wait for an extension while the likes of Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, TJ Watt and company have all signed theirs already. Bill Simmons has a theory about it all, as he suggested on the latest episode of his podcast, with guest Diana Russini. Simmons said: “There’s this Cowboys documentary coming out on Netflix, and it’s actually really good. I think it’s going to be a big deal, and it’s about the Jerry Jones’ ’90s Cowboys and the celebration of this really meaningful team…” “Part of me wonders does he (Jerry Jones) just do this sometimes with these holdouts just to get people talking about the Cowboys all month, when he knows how this is going to end? They’re not trading Micah Parsons, nobody’s doing that.” It’s a theory that has surfaced before, but one that would require Jerry Jones either playing with fire with his star players, or cutting them in on the scripted drama in order to make sure his team steals the headlines. The drama has really spiraled out of control in recent weeks, with Jerry Jones naming former star Dez Bryant as a player he once had a problem with. Suggestion that Micah Parsons is in on the drama as Jerry Jones continues late-extension trend If the theory is correct, you would have to imagine that Jones is letting his players know about his plan. CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott may have had their deals agreed in principle long before they were made official, which in a way would be smart business. As other teams sign their stars, their names fade from the headlines and TV shows, leaving only those with outstanding negotiations to be discussed. It seems a little suspect that in recent years, the Dallas Cowboys always seem to be one of those teams, with a star player waiting to get the deal he feels he deserves. Parsons could be in on the deal and may already have the figure agreed with Jones and the Cowboys. They can then gallivant around on social media and at press conferences as if there is an ongoing feud, coercing the fans into the drama before agreeing the contract at the final hour. Many believe Jones, the Cowboys, and Micah Parsons will have a deal agreed before the 2025 season begins, which would only play further into Simmons’ theory. If it’s true, it certainly works, but it isn’t a particularly positive way to portray the franchise.
Broncos' Sean Payton adds to Bo Nix hype with bold prediction
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes his team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender after quarterback and 2024 first-round draft pick Bo Nix was better than advertised as a rookie starter. During a recent chat with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Payton gave the Nix hype train some extra momentum via a bold prediction regarding what the 25-year-old will be a couple of years down the road. "I honestly think he’s gonna be one of the top quarterbacks within the next two years," Payton said about Nix. "I think he’s going to be a superstar." Some suggested in the spring of 2024 that Payton and Co. reached when they made Nix the 12th overall pick of last year's draft. Nix then went 10-7 as a starter as he guided the club to a playoff berth. Per Pro Football Reference, Nix ended the 2024 regular season ranked sixth in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes, 12th with 3,775 passing yards and 19th among qualified players with a 56.8 adjusted QBR. In total, 23 quarterbacks took more sacks than Nix (24) during the campaign. According to StatMuse, no signal-caller took more sacks than Russell Wilson did with the Broncos from Week 1 of the 2022 campaign through the end of the 2023 regular season. "Who gets the blame? 'God, the line’s gotta get better.' And it’s always the line. The sack is a quarterback stat," Payton added. "We had 24 [in 2024]. I had Bobby Hoying [in the late 1990s], third-round pick. Man, he was a great-looking prospect. He took three or four sacks a game. It’s a processing thing. It’s decision-making, multi-tasking, ball out." As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Broncos at -140 betting odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming season. Somewhat interestingly, that same outlet had Nix and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams at +3500 odds to claim the Most Valuable Player Award for the campaign. If Nix can follow in Stafford's footsteps through early 2026, Payton could be right about the current Denver squad competing for more than just a postseason berth.
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