Mets sign former Nationals pitcher to a minor league deal

The New York Mets added another experienced arm to their organizational depth on Wednesday, agreeing to a minor league contract with left-handed reliever Cionel Perez just days after he became a free agent following his release from the Washington Nationals.

The 30-year-old opened the 2026 season with Washington after earning a roster spot during spring training on a minor league contract. He pitched seven scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action, allowing only two hits and one walk while striking out seven batters. However, his regular-season results did not carry over. After a scoreless debut appearance, Perez allowed runs in each of his next three outings and finished his short Nationals tenure with a 6.19 ERA across 16 innings. He also had more walks (11) than strikeouts (nine) while going 2-3 in 16 appearances.

Washington designated Perez for assignment on May 2. After clearing waivers, he elected free agency before quickly landing with the Mets, where he is expected to report to Triple-A Syracuse.

Although the past two seasons have been challenging for him, Perez has shown he can be an effective bullpen piece. During his run with the Baltimore Orioles from 2022-24, he recorded a 3.12 ERA with 57 holds and six saves while operating as a reliable late-inning option. Across 273 career MLB appearances with the Nationals, Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros, Perez owns a 17-9 record with a 4.34 ERA.

New York entered Wednesday with a 3.61 bullpen ERA, ranking among the better relief units in baseball, though their relievers had already logged 142 innings, the seventh-highest total in MLB. Left-handed depth has been limited, with only Sean Manaea, David Peterson and Brooks Raley handling relief innings from that side.

Perez still brings velocity, averaging nearly 96 mph on his fastball this season. His curveball generated a 29.2% whiff rate with Washington, while opponents hit just .143 against his sinker. However, opposing hitters also batted .545 against his fastball and .333 against his slurve, areas the Mets will very likely try to carefully refine as they evaluate him in the minors.

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