On yet another day of unrestricted free agency, an infielder chooses to sign with the Cincinnati Reds. Hernan Perez, a ten-year major league veteran, inked a minor league contract with the team this week.
Hernan Perez last appeared in the major leagues two years ago in ten games with the Washington Nationals in 2021. When Perez debuted with the Tigers in 2012, he started his career in Detroit. After that, he spent portions of the following ten major league seasons playing for the Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs. With Milwaukee in 2016, he had his greatest season yet, hitting.272/.302/.428 with 34 stolen bases.
He only appeared in 13 major league games between the 2020 and 2021 seasons; as a result, he started the 2022 season with Tijuana in the Mexican League. His time there was short lived as Atlanta signed him to a minor league contract and sent him to play for their Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett after less than a week. He played for the Twins organization’s Triple-A squad in St. Paul last season, when he hit.279/.351/.485 with ten home runs. His career statistics are available here.
Hernan Perez has been playing in the Venezuelan Winter League with Lara this fall and winter. He’s hit in 38 games this year.In 161 plate appearances, he is 293/.379/.451 with 19 walks and 21 strikeouts.
This summer, Cincinnati has significantly deepened their minor league roster in the higher division. In the event that injuries force them to call up someone to assist in filling out the bench with the Reds, Hernan Perez provides them with yet another option in Triple-A. He played left field, shortstop, first base, second base, and third base in the minor levels in 2023. He has tossed 9.1 innings and played center and right in previous seasons. He covers you almost entirely, at least when it comes to defense.
Cincinnati added catcher John Michael Faile this week in another minor league signing, albeit one that is very different from that of Perez. The 23-year-old signed with the now-independent league Billings Mustangs after being undrafted. Despite only participating in little more than half of the season, he finished eighth in the league in home runs.
With 81 home runs, Faile leads all NCAA Division II players in home runs, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Having recorded 337 RBI in his five seasons at North Greenville, he holds the record for most RBI ever. In 54 games this summer, he hit.353/.414/.761 with the Billings after that. He also hit 21 home homers.
