Tag Archives: Matt Harrison

Pérez Agrees to Lucrative, Four-Year Deal with Texas Rangers

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Martín Pérez will be donning red, white and blue on the baseball diamond long term.

The 22-year-old Venezuelan left-handed pitcher has agreed to a lucrative four-year contract with the Texas Rangers that will see him staying put in the Lone Star State through 2017.

Martín Pérez

Perez is guaranteed to pocket $12.5 million with the new deal, which also includes club options for 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Perez, who made his Major League Baseball debut with the Rangers on June 27, 2012, established himself as a full-fledged member of the Rangers’ rotation this past season. He started 20 games and was 10-6 with a 3.62 ERA, striking out 84 and walking 37 while becoming a key cog down the stretch.

After ending the regular season tied for a playoff spot, the Rangers turned to Perez in Game 163 against the Tampa Bay Rays.  He took the loss in that contest, allowing three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Perez,  long considered the club’s top pitching prospect, posted a 5.45 ERA over 12 games in 2012 before finally living up to expectations last season.

The signing means the Rangers have four of their five projected 2014 starters signed to long-term deals.

Yu Darvish is inked through the 2017 season and Derek Holland‘s contract includes club options that could keep him a Ranger until the end of the 2018 season. Matt Harrison, who was injured most of last year after winning 18 games in 2012, is under contract through 2017 with a club option for 2018. And now Perez could be a Ranger until he’s 29 years old.

Cabrera Named the MLB All-Star Game MVP

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Melky Cabrera has plenty of reason to celebrate…

The 27-year-old Dominican baseball player was named the MVP of the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday night after powering the National League to an 8-0 win over the American League in Kansas City.

Melky Cabrera

The San Francisco Giants slugger hit a single in the first inning and scored the game’s first run. Cabrera then hit a two-run homer against Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison in a three-run fourth.

Cabrera, who is currently with his fourth team in four years, received the most valuable player award in the same ballpark where he played last season. The former Kansas City Royals outfielder drew loud cheers as he picked up the trophy, with his mother at his side.

“I didn’t come to win an MVP. That’s just a surprise,” said Cabrera. “The same opportunity that Kansas City gave me last year is the same opportunity that San Francisco is giving me every day to showcase my talent. Again, I’m just very thankful for the fans that voted for me to come here.”

Giants fans, who made a late voting push to elect Pablo Sandoval and Cabrera to starting spots, might really appreciate the victory come October.

The Giants are a half-game behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.

With Tuesday’s victory, the National League once again claimed home-field advantage in the World Series.