We're just days away from Major League Baseball's trade deadline, and the Texas Rangers are in a position they wanted to avoid by this point in the season.
They march ten games below .500, and the postseason seems like a long shot right now. That means they could be forced to part ways with Martin Perez, who'll be a free agent at the end of the season.
Perez has had the best season of his career. He's been a legit Cy Young candidate despite his team's struggles, so plenty of teams could look to make a run at him. Still, he won't let all the chatter affect him:
“They know I want to be here,” Perez told the Dallas News. “I’m not expecting to get traded; I expect to be here. But I’m not going to get distracted by it. Every year, the deadline happens. I just want to be ready for my next game.”
The Venezuelan hurler has now won eight consecutive starts, giving the Rangers some much-needed consistency amid a very tough season. That's why manager Chris Woodward doesn't want to watch him leave:
“He’s been so integral for us,” Woodward said. “He’s been a rock star in every corner of the clubhouse. I don’t know where we would be without him, and I’d hate to lose him.”
However, President of Baseball Operations Jon Daniels doesn't want this situation blown out of proportion. He'll keep all talks regarding Perez privately, including a potential extension:
“Martín has been great,” Daniels said. “There is an obvious need and fit for starting pitching here past this season. Beyond that we’d rather handle things privately.”
The Rangers could still make Perez an offer to keep him for the long run, but that hasn't happened yet. He's comfortable there and has shown his desire to stay, yet anything can happen:
“We haven’t talked anything about an extension,” the veteran hurler said last week. “I signed with Texas again. That was my home for a long time. I feel great there. But I don’t know what their plans are. … I’d like to stay. It’s the same when you go back home and you always want to stay.”
If the Rangers are serious about contending right now, there's no way they could afford to lose their best pitcher.
