A’s Select Francisco Pérez

The Athletics announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Francisco Pérez, with lefty Sam Long optioned in a corresponding move. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, which is now full.

Pérez, 26, signed a minor league deal with the A’s in April and has been working in the minors since then. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he’s tossed 40 2/3 innings, allowing 4.43 earned runs per nine. His 31.2% strikeout rate is quite strong but his 11.8% walk rate is on the high side.

Prior to this season, he was able to throw 15 1/3 innings in the majors, split between Cleveland and Washington in 2021 and 2022. He currently has a career ERA of 5.87 in that small sample. The Nats passed him through waivers after last year, which led him to the open market but he’s now back in the big leagues.

He still has an option season remaining and won’t reach one year of service time here in 2023, allowing the A’s to cheaply retain him as a depth piece with roster flexibility for years to come, as long as he continues to justify his 40-man roster spot.