Héctor Pérez (baseball)

Pérez signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent in 2014. In 2015, he was assigned to the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Astros, and later promoted to the Gulf Coast League Astros and Rookie Advanced Greeneville Astros. In 17 pitching appearances, Pérez posted a 2–0 win–loss record, 1.64 earned run average (ERA), and 50 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched.[1] He split time in 2016 with the Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats and the Single-A Quad Cities River Bandits, and worked to a 4–1 combined record, 3.15 ERA, and 80 strikeouts in 60 innings.[1] Perez opened the 2017 season with the River Bandits, and was later promoted to the High-A Buies Creek Astros. In a career-high 1071⁄3 innings, Pérez posted a 7–6 record, 3.44 ERA, and 128 strikeouts.[1]

Pérez was assigned to Buies Creek to begin 2018, and earned a promotion to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks in early July.[1]

On July 30, 2018, the Astros traded Pérez, Ken Giles, and David Paulino to the Blue Jays for Roberto Osuna.[2] The Blue Jays added him to their 40-man roster after the season. He spent the 2019 season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, recording a 7-6 record and 4.60 ERA in 26 games. He made his major league debut September 16, 2020.[3] With the 2020 Toronto Blue Jays, Pérez appeared in 1 game, compiling a 0-0 record with 10.80 ERA and 1 strikeouts in 1.2 innings pitched.[4]

On January 22, 2021, Pérez was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later (Darlin Guzman was sent to Toronto as the PTBNL on July 8[5]).[6] After struggling to a 9.35 ERA across 7 appearances for the Triple-A Louisville Bats, Pérez was designated for assignment on June 2, 2021.[7] At the time of his designation, Pérez had not appeared in a game with Cincinnati. He was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville on June 7.[8] He elected free agency following the season on November 7.[9]

On May 11, 2022, Pérez signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles organization. In 22 cumulative appearances between the rookie-level Florida Complex League Orioles, Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, and Double-A Bowie Baysox, Pérez pitched to a combined 3.51 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 3 saves in 33.1 innings pitched.

On December 7, 2022, Pérez was claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.[10] He was assigned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to begin the 2023 season.

On April 22, 2023, Pérez had his contract selected to the active roster.[11] He did not make an appearance for the Rays before he was designated for assignment the following day after Zach Eflin was activated from the injured list.[12] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Durham on April 25.[13] In 33 games for Durham, he posted a 4–0 record and 4.08 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 5 saves in 53.0 innings of work. On August 16, the Rays again selected Pérez's contract, adding him back to the major league roster.[14] He appeared in that day's game against the San Francisco Giants, working 1⁄3 of an inning and allowing one run on three hits and a walk. The next day, Pérez was designated for assignment following Andrew Kittredge's activation from the injured list.[15] Rather than accept an outright assignment to Durham, Pérez elected free agency on August 20.[16]

On August 26, 2023, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies organization.[17]