Rafael Perez would have been non-tendered Friday, but instead the Indians have decided to part ways with the left-handed reliever early and designated him for assignment.
Perez has been one of the best, most underrated southpaw setup men in baseball for most of his seven-year career, posting a 3.01 ERA in 281 innings if you take out his miserable 2009 season.
However, he missed nearly all of this year with a shoulder injury that required surgery in September and has too often worked in the mid-80s recently. He’s expected to be healthy by spring training, but Perez will likely have to settle for a one-year deal or perhaps even a minor-league contract.
