Report: Rangers to pick up Perez's $6M option

Martin Perez will be back in the Texas Rangers' rotation in 2018, as the club has reportedly exercised the veteran left-hander's $6-million team option, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Perez, who turns 27 in April, was the Rangers' most dependable starter throughout a frustrating 2017 campaign, finishing with a team-high 185 innings pitched while managing a 4.82 ERA (4.65 FIP) and 1.9 WAR across 32 starts. Over the last two seasons, only a dozen pitchers have logged more innings than Perez (383 2/3), who also ranks ninth among qualified starters in ground-ball rate (50.3 percent) over that span.

Since debuting with the Rangers in 2012, Perez owns a 4.43 ERA (100 ERA+) and 1.44 WHIP over 113 starts and six relief appearances.