The Baltimore Orioles announced on Monday that they agreed to terms with left-hander Cionel Perez on an undisclosed one-year deal for the 2024 season with a club option for 2025 to avoid salary arbitration. Perez was seeking $1.4 million in arbitration for the 2024 season, and the Orioles had countered at $1.1 million. The 27-year-old southpaw from Cuba posted a 3.54 ERA (3.84 FIP) and 1.56 WHIP with a career-high three saves, 27 walks and 44 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings over 65 relief outings in 2023 in his second year in Baltimore. In six major-league seasons since debuting in 2018 with the Houston Astros, Perez has gone 13-6 with a decent 3.56 ERA (4.15 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with four saves and a 21.3 percent strikeout rate over 161 2/3 relief innings.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Cionel Perez earned his first save of the season and second save of his career in Monday's 3-2 win over the Phillies. Perez came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth up by one. He got the first two outs on a groundout and lineout, allowed a single and a walk, and got the final out on a groundout. The O's closer, Felix Bautista had pitched in four of the team's last five games, so he was unavailable to close this one out. Perez has not been able to replicate his stellar 2022 season and now has a 4.54 ERA with a 5.35 BB/9 rate. He may be able to help the O's continue their winning ways, but he offers little fantasy value at this time.

The Baltimore Orioles reinstated left-hander Cionel Perez (forearm) from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned left-hander Nick Vespi to the minors in a corresponding move. Perez returns to the Orioles after missing the minimum 15 days on the injured list due to left-forearm soreness. The 27-year-old southpaw reliever was 2-1 before his injury with a 4.45 ERA (4.47 FIP), 1.78 WHIP, 16 walks and 22 strikeouts in 30 1/3 relief innings. Perez has one career save (last year) and doesn't have any real fantasy appeal with an 8.4 career K/9 over 138 2/3 innings with the O's, Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds in six major-league campaigns.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Cionel Perez (forearm) was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with left forearm soreness. Left-handed pitcher Bruce Zimmermann was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. Perez had an excellent 2022 season but has not been able to follow it up, compiling a 4.45 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP and a 15.2% strikeout rate in 30 1/3 innings pitched. He does have eight holds, but the O's back of the bullpen is well-established at this point, leaving little room for fantasy value for Perez.

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that relievers Cionel Perez and Bryan Baker could get opportunities to close out games if closer Felix Bautista (knee, shoulder) isn't ready for the start of the 2023 season. In addition to Bautista, late-inning reliever Dillon Tate (elbow) is slated to miss the first month of the season. Fantasy managers speculating on saves in deeper leagues need to file away the names of Perez and Baker. Perez would probably be the favorite for saves in Baltimore after posting a 1.40 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings for the O's in 2022. Baker, meanwhile, had a 3.49 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, one save and 76 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings pitched.

The Baltimore Orioles have claimed pitcher Cionel Perez off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. The Orioles announced the move in a press release on Wednesday. Perez pitched to a 6.38 ERA, a 6.30 FIP, 25 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 24 innings for the Reds last season. He's logged a 6.04 ERA and a 6.02 FIP in 50.2 career innings at the Major League level. The left-hander will give Baltimore some additional depth in the bullpen. Last season, the Orioles bullpen finished with the 15th-highest fWAR in baseball, but they also had the highest collective FIP among all bullpens.