Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: One-Year Deals For Chris Perez, Jamey Wright Finalized

Chris PerezThe Los Angeles Dodgers finalized the contracts with free agent relievers Chris Perez and Jamey Wright Tuesday afternoon. Perez and the Dodgers were closing in on an agreement Sunday night while Wright agreed to his deal yesterday afternoon.

Both contracts will be for one-year with Perez earning $2.3 million in guaranteed money. Based on incentives in his contract he can earn between $6-$8 million for the duration of the contract. GM Ned Colletti discussed signing the 28-year-old reliever, who sounds excited about pitching in Southern California:



Chris expressed an interest in coming here and pitching in any role Don asks of him, said Colletti. We see him adding depth and experience to our bullpen and while Kenley and Brian will close games, we play so many tight games that we couldn’t pass up the chance to add another reliever who has experienced success in the 7th, 8th and 9th inning.

In the last four seasons, Perez saved 123 games, but had a difficult 2013 season. Dealing with a shoulder injury, he put up the worst numbers of his career with a 4.33 ERA, posted a -0.3 WAR and saw his velocity drop close to a mile-per-hour on the radar gun.

Meanwhile, Wright comes back to LA after spending last year with the Tampa Bay Rays. The 39-year-old reliever had his best season in recent memory, posting a 3.09 ERA, a career-best 2.83 K/BB rate and 0.9 WAR. He’ll likely fill the middle relief role as Colletti mentioned the Dodgers are very familiar with what he brings:

We’re very familiar with Jamey from his time with us in 2012 and he’s capable of pitching in a variety of different roles, said Colletti He brings versatility, a veteran presence and added leadership to the staff. We look forward to having him back in 2014.”

The additions of Perez and Wright give the Dodgers a surplus of relievers, potentially setting the stage for a trade in the coming weeks. Perez, Jansen and Wilson give the Dodgers a formidable back end of the bullpen as it was clearly a priority early in the winter.

UPDATE: The Dodgers finalized the contracts for J.P. Howell and Juan Uribe: 

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ICYMI: The Dodgers and Jamey Wright agreed to a one-year deal this week

Ross Gasmer

Ross Gasmer is a Social Media Producer for @TheHerd and was a contributing writer and editor for Dodger Nation. Follow him on Twitter @Ross_Gasmer12
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