Rangers showing interest in ideal bounce-back bullpen candidate after recent showcase

Texas Rangers interested in former Baltimore Orioles lefty reliever Cionel Pérez

According to Beisbol FR's Francys Romero, the Rangers are among the teams interested in former Orioles lefty reliever Cionel Pérez, who had a workout on Saturday in Tampa, Florida, with scouts from "about 20 MLB teams" in attendance.

Pérez, 29, is coming off a rough season with the Orioles. He had an awful 8.31 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 18 walks in 21 2/3 innings across 19 outings. Because of Pérez's struggles, the Orioles designated him for assignment and outrighted him to Triple-A Norfolk in late May. He spent the rest of the season in Triple-A, pitching to a 6.85 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 19 walks in 22 1/3 innings across 21 appearances.

Although Pérez had a rough 2025 season, it wasn't too long ago when the southpaw was among the best relievers in the game. In 2022, his first season with Baltimore, Pérez posted 2.6 bWAR and a 1.40 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 21 walks in 57 2/3 innings across 66 games.

Pérez, a Cuban native, first reached the big leagues in 2018 with the Houston Astros. He pitched for the Astros from 2018-20, appearing in just 20 games and posting a 5.74 ERA with 27 strikeouts and 15 walks across 26 2/3 innings. In the 2020-21 offseason, the Astros traded Pérez to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Luke Berryhill.

Pérez had a 6.38 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 20 walks in 24 innings across 25 outings for the Reds in 2021. During the following offseason, the Orioles claimed the lefty off waivers from Cincinnati.

Pérez has yet to repeat the success he experienced during the 2022 campaign. He still had a solid 2023 season with the Orioles, pitching to a 3.54 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 27 walks in 53 1/3 innings. He regressed a bit in 2024, posting a 4.53 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 28 walks in 53 2/3 innings. However, he had a 3.30 FIP that season, suggesting he was a bit unlucky. Last season was a disaster for Pérez, but it's still possible he can return to form in 2026.

Pérez will likely have to settle for a minor league deal this offseason. The Rangers should do their best to convince him to come to Texas. With a lot of questions surrounding the Rangers' bullpen, Pérez likely views Texas as an attractive landing spot, since he'd have a good shot at making the team's opening day roster.