Chris Perez: Former All-Star Closer Retires After Seven Seasons
After failing to reach the Major Leagues in 2015, former closer Chris Perez is calling it a career after seven seasons. The Minor League Baseball transactions page first noted that Perez had retired, with Roch Kubatko of MASNSports confirming the news.
#orioles confirm RHP chris perez retired. Was working out in sarasota
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) August 26, 2015
Perez, who is still just 29-years-old, retires in an unceremonious fashion. At one point, the hard-throwing right-hander was one of the more overpowering closers in the American League. The Bradenton, Florida, native posted seasons of 30-plus saves on two occasions in both 2011 and 2012 for the Cleveland Indians after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009.
Since then, the former two-time All-Star has struggled with several off-the-field issues.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Perez was arrested in 2013 after mailing marijuana to his dog. According to the report, a delivery man smelled something unusual from the package mailed to Brody Baum, the dog of both Chris and Melanie Perez. An undercover detective delivered the package to the family, then discovering a bevy of drug paraphernalia in their home.
When police discovered all those contents in the Perez home, Chris was subsequently placed on police watch and then charged with marijuana possession, according to an ESPN report. With all of those issues under his belt, Perez’s stint with the Indians concluded after 2013.
In that offseason, he signed a one-year, $2.3 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per ESPN. Looking to reestablish himself, Perez could not find the same success he had in Cleveland.
In 49 games for the Dodgers, Perez pitched to 4.27 ERA. He also posted the second worst K/9 (7.6) and BB/9 (4.9) rates of his career. Once again, Perez hit the free agent market after the 2014 season, trying to show that he could still be the same effective pitcher from 2010-2012.
Signing a one-year, minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in February, Perez needed to not only recapture his past success but also show that he was worthy of a roster spot.
The #Brewers have signed RHP Chris Perez to a minor-league contract with an invitation to Major League camp.
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 5, 2015
That did not happen as he failed to reach the majors in 2015, further proving that his success were a thing of the past. Perez tried latching on one more time, this time with the Baltimore Orioles. He signed a minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on July 2, as reported by Matt Eddy of Baseball America.
However, Perez was hit with a second ban for recreational drug use, which came out to a 50-game suspension. He never donned an Orioles uniform at any level before his retirement.
All told, Perez retires after seven seasons and three teams at the big-league level. He hangs up the cleats with a career 16-24 record, 3.51 ERA, and 133 saves through 379-and-one-third career innings.
[Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
