Cuban pitching prospect Cionel Perez is excited to have signed a contract with the Houston Astros, but took issue with the steps leading up to it.
In a letter addressed to MLB and the MLB Players Association, the 20-year-old left-hander expressed frustration over the signing process.
“I am happy to begin my professional career but I feel abused by this system,” Perez said in the letter provided by his agency, Octagon, per Baseball America's Ben Badler.
Perez and the Astros initially agreed on a $5.15-million contract in October, but Perez's physical revealed an issue with his throwing elbow, which voided the deal. The two sides then agreed to a restructured $2-million contract on Friday.
Per @JesseSanchezMLB, #Astros sign Cuban LHP Cionel Perez for $2m. Had $5.15m deal in Sept. but contract was voided: https://t.co/jEfa6q5Km5 pic.twitter.com/o6GtlRdKBO
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) December 9, 2016
While Perez didn't receive the money he initially signed for, he said he's still looking forward to playing for the Astros.
“I am very happy and I give many thanks to the Astros for giving me the opportunity to sign again, to represent their franchise and most importantly help me achieve my dream,” Perez added. “I know I have a great opportunity, and I will do my best to maximize that opportunity in hopes of winning the World Series that they deserve.”
The issue at hand, though, is murky.
The new collective bargaining agreement states that players are exempt from international bonus pools if they're at least 23 years old and have played at least five seasons of professional baseball in a foreign league.
Perez didn't meet the criteria, but his camp argued that he should've been free to sign with any team because he was previously contracted by the Astros, and that it made sense considering Perez was being treated as a previously signed player.
In his letter, Perez stated that Baltimore was willing to offer him a deal worth $10 million - if he'd been exempt from the bonus pool - and that San Diego was offering $2.4 million.
The timing of Perez's signing is also a sticking point. Because the left-hander signed with the team that previously voided his contract, he has to be placed on the 40-man roster next season if Houston wants to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. That wouldn't have been the case if Perez signed with a different team.
