Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The San Diego Padres need pitching depth, and Martin Perez may be an option this winter.Â
As the Padres put the finishing touches on their starting staff heading into Spring Training and beyond, one intriguing option is left-hander MartÃn Pérez.
Pérez was formerly with the Padres in 2024, coming over at the trade deadline. In 10 starts, the lefty proved himself to be a solid lower-end rotation arm and worked well with the Friars. He posted a 3.46 ERA in his 10 starts and was notably reliable.
One of the biggest benefits of bringing in Pérez is his price point. He is likely to garner a one-year deal in the $3–4 million range. The former Padres pitcher would be a cheaper option than the likes of Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander
Pérez is a guy who has proven to be a fit with San Diego’s staff and clubhouse. Further work with Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla could help solidify his status as a decent backend arm.
Should the Padres not bring in anyone else, their current backend options include the likes of JP Sears, Kyle Hart, and the recovering Jhony Brito. Both Sears and Hart looked atrocious in limited time with the Padres last season. In 24.1 innings played, Sears posted a 5.47 ERA and lacked poise and control on the mound. Meanwhile, Hart was even worse, lacking complete command of his repertoire. In 43 painful innings of work, Hart recorded a 5.86 ERA and typically started only when the team was short on options.
This is where Pérez comes into play.
The 34-year-old lefty posted a 3.54 ERA in 11 appearances for the White Sox in 2025. While Pérez struggled with injuries early on, he settled in nicely for Chicago and struck out 44 in 56 innings played before ultimately injuring his shoulder.
San Diego could certainly use this consistency at the bottom of the rotation, and taking a flyer on an arm that can post a sub-4.00 ERA would be a massive upgrade over the current options.
Pérez is also preferable to Matt Waldron, the knuckleballer whose presence has faded significantly in San Diego over the last 18 months. Once looking to be a high upside middle rotation guy, Waldron has struggled to stay healthy, and when given limited opportunities, has been blown up consistently.
Additionally, MartÃn Pérez brings more than just solid numbers to the table, offering veteran leadership and durability that some of the Padres’ younger pitching staff members could greatly benefit from.
At 34, Pérez has logged over 1,500 innings in the majors across 13 seasons, giving him the experience to mentor emerging arms like Randy Vasquez, Jeremiah Estrada, and Jhony Brito. Pérez also showed adaptability in 2025 with the White Sox, tweaking his pitch mix to lean less on his sinker and more on his changeup and cutter. This generated more whiffs and strikeouts than in 2024.
Rejoining the Padres would allow him to continue building on the rapport he developed with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, potentially unlocking even more stability.
In a division with heavy-hitting lineups like the Dodgers and Giants, having a lefty who can reliably keep games close in the later innings is invaluable. Especially at a bargain price that preserves payroll flexibility for other needs. His value as a lefty is also important in a Padres rotation that will likely feature four right-handers already, with Yu Darvish out for the 2026 season and potentially retiring.
While a late 2025 shoulder injury has called into question his ability to rebound, given his potential price point, which could be as low as $4 million annually, Pérez would certainly be a low-risk, high-reward type of signing. Regardless, he is someone to keep an eye on and could be a great fit for filling out the bottom of the rotation with Randy Vasquez or Jhony Brito.
Billy has spent a majority of his life following San Diego sports and worked in San Diego for many years. Now residing in Newport Beach he recently obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Chapman University and now works as an Associate Personal Injury Attorney. Billy enjoys supporting the Padres and SDFC from Orange County and making the drive down for big games. He is passionate about analytics and writing about sports.
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